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Afghanistan, led by Ibrahim Zadran, will face Zimbabwe, captained by Sikandar Raza, in the third and final T20I at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday, November 1.
The hosts have already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead and will look to complete a series clean sweep. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will aim to avoid a whitewash after losing the first two matches.
Despite losing four top-order wickets for just five runs, Afghanistan recovered through a stunning knock from Azmatullah Omarzai. The all-rounder smashed 116 off 50 balls to lift his team to a formidable total and put them in control.
Zimbabwe mounted a strong chase, led by an unbeaten century from Sikandar Raza. However, the captain did not receive enough support from the other batters as the visitors fell 19 runs short of the 222-run target.
Afghanistan’s top order has struggled throughout the series, collapsing to 66/5 in the first T20I and losing four quick wickets in the second. However, their middle and lower order have repeatedly rescued the innings and helped the team post competitive totals.
Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai scored back-to-back half-centuries at number seven at a strike rate of 212.24. Rashid Khan also made an impact with the bat, scoring a quickfire 30 off 10 balls in the opening match.
Ibrahim Zadran has managed his bowling resources well. However, Afghanistan failed to take a wicket in the latter half of the second T20I after reducing Zimbabwe to 82/5.
Zimbabwe have also struggled with their top order. Innocent Kaia and Ryan Burl were the only batters to cross 20 in the first T20I.
The visitors showed some improvement in the second match, raising their powerplay score from 38 to 59. Raza and Tafadzwa Tsiga, who scored 31 off 23 balls, also added 120 runs for the sixth wicket to keep Zimbabwe in the contest.
Brad Evans has picked up important top-order wickets in both matches. Kundai Matigimu dismissed two top-order batters in the previous game, while Ernest Masuku will also be expected to provide early breakthroughs.
Cricket fans in India can watch the live streaming of the third T20I between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe on the FanCode app and website. The match will take place at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday, November 1, and will begin at 8:00 PM IST (6:30 PM local time). The toss is scheduled for 7:30 PM IST.
The pitch at Sharjah Cricket Stadium offers a balanced contest between bat and ball, with spinners likely to get more assistance as the match progresses. However, the surface has remained good for batting in the first two matches of this series.
The average first-innings score in the series is 199 runs. A total of 190–210 could prove competitive, although the teams will need to assess the conditions before setting or chasing a target.
Teams batting first have won 46 of the 77 T20Is played at this venue. Afghanistan also won the first two matches after batting first. Sikandar Raza chose to bowl in both games but could not guide Zimbabwe to victory. The captain winning the toss may therefore prefer to bat first.
Total T20I matches: 54
Matches won batting first: 33
Matches won bowling first: 21
Average first-innings score: 158
Average second-innings score: 131
Highest total: 215/6 (20 overs) – Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe
Lowest total: 38/10 (10.4 overs) – Hong Kong vs Pakistan
Highest successful chase: 206/8 (19.5 overs) – UAE vs Bangladesh
Lowest total defended: 132/7 (20 overs) – Afghanistan vs Scotland
Highest individual score: 118* (67 balls) – Mohammad Shahzad (Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe)
Best bowling figures: 5/13 (4 overs) – Samiullah Shinwari (Afghanistan vs Kenya)
Sharjah is expected to have partly cloudy skies at 6:30 PM local time. AccuWeather forecasts no rain during the match, with the temperature around 20°C at the start. The temperature is expected to remain close to 19°C during the evening, while humidity could rise from 48% to around 52%.
Afghanistan will look for a stronger start from their top order. Captain Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz will need to build a solid opening partnership and score heavily to give the middle order a stable platform.
Zimbabwe also need better contributions from their openers, Brian Bennett and Innocent Kaia. Wicketkeeper Tadiwanashe Marumani has struggled in both matches, putting more pressure on the middle order to deliver.
Afghanistan Predicted Playing XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran (c), Sediqullah Atal, Mohammad Akram, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Rashid Khan, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Abdullah Ahmadzai.
Zimbabwe Predicted Playing XI: Brian Bennett, Innocent Kaia, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (c), Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Tafadzwa Tsiga, Brad Evans, Kundai Matigimu, Ernest Masuku, Vincent Masekesa.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Brad Evans
Rahmanullah Gurbaz will look to give Afghanistan a quick start but has struggled to convert his starts into big scores in this series. Brad Evans has taken important top-order wickets in both matches and will aim to dismiss the opener early in the powerplay.
Sikandar Raza vs Rashid Khan
Sikandar Raza made an unbeaten century in the second T20I and remains Zimbabwe’s key batting threat. Rashid Khan will look to use his variations during the middle overs to challenge the captain and restrict his scoring.
Ibrahim Zadran vs Kundai Matigimu
Ibrahim Zadran is yet to reach double figures in the series and will be eager to find form in the final match. Kundai Matigimu will look to trouble the Afghanistan captain with his pace and accuracy.
Afghanistan: Azmatullah Omarzai, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai and Rashid Khan
Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza, Brad Evans and Tafadzwa Tsiga
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