The final is over and Afghanistan are the winners. Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bat first in Sharjah, but they were bowled out for 169 in 43.3 overs. Only their captain, Sikandar Raza, put up a real fight, scoring 68 runs from 83 balls. Rashid Khan led Afghanistan’s bowling with 3 wickets for 41 runs, and the rest of the attack shared the remaining wickets.
Afghanistan’s chase was never in trouble. They reached 170 for 3 in 34.3 overs, with more than 15 overs to spare. Opener Ibrahim Zadran carried his bat with 70 not out from 96 balls and was named Player of the Match. Captain Rahmat Shah supported him with 43, and the two put together an 82-run stand for the third wicket that settled the game. Hashmatullah Shahidi struck the winning boundary, finishing 7 not out. The victory made it seven one-day wins in a row for Rahmat Shah as Afghanistan’s captain.
The road to the final
Afghanistan have been the strongest side in this short series, which also includes Bangladesh. Their clearest statement came on Monday in Abu Dhabi, where they beat Zimbabwe by 158 runs in the second match of the tournament.
Batting first after winning the toss, Afghanistan posted 294 runs before being bowled out in the final over. Opener Sediqullah Atal was the star of the innings. He scored 102 runs from 110 balls, his third hundred in one-day internationals, and was later named Player of the Match. Ibrahim Zadran gave him strong support with 90 runs from 96 balls, while Hashmatullah Shahidi added 28 and Rahmanullah Gurbaz made a quick 25 at the top.
Zimbabwe’s bowlers fought back late in the innings. Brad Evans and Ernest Masuku took three wickets each, and Blessing Muzarabani claimed two, but the total was still well beyond Zimbabwe’s reach.
Rashid Khan finishes the job
The chase never really got going. Zimbabwe lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out for 136 in 38.4 overs. Leg-spinner Rashid Khan was the main reason, taking four wickets for only 17 runs in eight overs. Fazalhaq Farooqi picked up two wickets, and the rest of the attack shared the remaining wickets. Sikandar Raza top-scored for Zimbabwe with 48, but no other batter could build a partnership that threatened the target.
The match also produced one of the strangest moments of the week. Brian Bennett was bowled by Azmatullah Omarzai, but the umpire called a dead ball because a towel had dropped during the bowler’s run-up and distracted the batter. Bennett survived that moment, although he was dismissed soon after for 31.
Both teams beat Bangladesh
Zimbabwe reached the final on the back of their opening win. In the first match of the series, they scored 271 for 8 and then bowled Bangladesh out for 172 to win by 99 runs. Afghanistan also defeated Bangladesh comfortably, chasing down a target of 161 with seven wickets in hand in Sharjah on Wednesday. Those results left Afghanistan at the top of the table and set up Friday’s final between the same two sides who met on Monday.
Why it matters
The trophy is another marker of Afghanistan’s steady rise in one-day cricket, built on strong spin bowling and an improving top order. Seven straight one-day wins under Rahmat Shah show a side that now expects to win finals, not just reach them. For Zimbabwe, the two heavy defeats to Afghanistan show the gap they still have to close, despite their opening win over Bangladesh. Both teams now carry this form into a busy season of international cricket.
