Sport
Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe in second match of T20I
Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe by 50 runs in the second T20I at the Harare Sports Club on December 13, Friday.
Zimbabwe won the first T20I by 4 wickets but the visitors made a stunning comeback to level the three-match series at 1-1. The series decider will be played on December 14, Saturday.
Afghanistan opted to bat first in the second T20I but the decision backfired quickly as Gwandu removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz on 11 runs in the fourth over of the powerplay while Muzarbani dismissed Sediqullah Atal on 19 runs in the next over.
Darwish Rasooli and Azmatullah Omarzai stitched a 53-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Rasooli 58 runs off 42 balls. He smacked six boundaries and one maximum during his sensational knock. Azmatullah also scored 28 runs off 23 balls. Gulbadin Naib also amassed an unbeaten 26 runs off 21 balls as Afghanistan scored 153 in 20 overs.
Naveen-ul-Haq, Rashid Khan shine with the ball
Chasing the target of 154 runs, Zimbabwe got off to a poor start as Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah removed Marumani and Myers cheaply in the powerplay. Brian Bennet scored 27 runs off 26 balls but the middle order failed to make any contribution with the bat in the run chase.
Naveen Ul Haq (3/19), Rashid Khan (3/20), and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/30) put on a terrific bowling effort to help Afghan players beat Zimbabwe by 50 runs and draw level the three-match T20I series 1-1
Skipper Sikandar Raza scored 35 runs off 30 balls but Afghani bowlers picked wickets at regular intervals to put pressure on the hosts. Naveen-ul-Haq completed a significant milestone by taking his 250th T20 wicket in the shortest format. Zimbabwe bowled out for 103 runs in the 17.4 overs. Rashid and Naveen took three wickets each while Mujeeb Ur Rahman also picked up two wickets. Omarzai and Fareed Ahmed also took one wicket each.
The Morocco national futsal team defeated Afghanistan 4–0 in the ongoing Islamic Solidarity Games held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
This was Afghanistan’s third match in the tournament. Earlier, the Afghan team defeated Tajikistan and held Iran to a draw, showing strong form before facing Morocco.
Despite the loss, Afghanistan remains a competitive side in the regional futsal championship, demonstrating growing potential in the sport.
The Islamic Solidarity Games features more than 3,000 athletes from 57 Islamic countries competing across 19 sporting disciplines.
Ariana Television Network (ATN) holds the exclusive broadcasting rights in Afghanistan for the Riyadh 2025 Games.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed on Friday that it will host West Indies for a three-match T20I series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from January 19 to 22.
The series will begin on January 19, with the second and third T20Is scheduled for January 21 and 22. It is expected to provide both teams with valuable match practice and will play a key role in their preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled less than a month after the series.
ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said: “Competing against West Indies on the brink of a global event presents an excellent opportunity for our team to finalize their lineup and enhance preparations for the upcoming tournament in India and Sri Lanka. We have been closely monitoring the team’s preparation process, and facing a quality West Indies side offers an ideal platform for their buildup.”
CWI Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe added: “This series provides an ideal platform for our preparations. Facing strong opposition in subcontinental conditions will help us sharpen our combinations and approach, while also giving our players a chance to build confidence on surfaces similar to those we’ll encounter in India and Sri Lanka.”
Series Schedule:
Afghanistan’s national cricket team continued their dominant form in the Hong Kong Sixes tournament on Friday, recording back-to-back victories over Nepal and South Africa.
Against South Africa, Afghanistan posted 148 runs in six overs. Captain Gulbadin Naib starred with 50 runs off just 12 balls, while Karim Janat added 46 from 11 deliveries. South Africa could muster only 99 runs in response, giving Afghanistan a commanding 49-run win.
Earlier on Friday, Afghanistan had defeated Nepal by 17 runs, marking a perfect start to the tournament.
The Hong Kong Sixes features twelve teams, each with six players, competing in a fast-paced, six-over format.
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