Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe Predictions - on-fire Rashid to seal series for Afghanistan

Simon Lewis

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Last updated: 41 minutes ago

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Simon Lewis 41 minutes ago

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Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 37 runs to take a 1-0 ahead in the three-match series.
Ijaz Ahmadzai blasted 52 off 22 balls while Rashid Khan contributed took 2/20.
Will Zimbabwe find an answer to Afghanistan’s varied attack, or will the hosts secure the series with a game to spare?

Rashid Khan was Player of the Match in the 1st T20I after scoring 30 off 10 balls and taking 2/20 (Getty Images).

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe Predictions

Afghanistan are backed to seal the series 2-0. They recovered from a top-order wobble in the opener and then used both seam and spin to overwhelm Zimbabwe. The outright win price is short, but bowling and six-hitting markets provide more interesting options.

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe Predictions
Head-to-Head
Afghanistan Form
Zimbabwe Form
Team News

Afghanistan’s Ijaz Ahmadzai scored 52 from 22 balls (S/R 236.36) in the 1st T20I.
Afghanistan’s Shahidullah Kamal hit 46 from 42 balls (3 sixes) in rebuilding Afghanistan’s innings.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan hit four sixes in his 10-ball score of 30 in the 1st T20I.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan picked up 2/20 in four overs vs Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe’s Ryan Burl top-scored with 32 off 24 balls, while Innocent Kaia contributed 24.
Zimbabwe’s Innocent Kaia has scored 34, 55* & 24 in his last 3 knocks.
Zimbabwe’s Newman Nyamhuri claimed 4/31 in 3.5 overs; Brad Evans took 2 wickets.
The teams combined to hit 17 sixes in the 1st T20I.

Head-to-Head

Afghanistan have won their last six T20 internationals against Zimbabwe, including Tuesday’s 37-run victory. They also beat Zimbabwe by 9 runs, 7 wickets and 53 runs in the three T20Is played in late October and early November 2025. The victory pattern strongly favours Afghanistan to clinch the series with a match in hand, although Nyamhuri's four-wicket haul shows that the hosts are not invulnerable.

Afghanistan Form

The hosts managed 177 all out in the first T20I despite losing their leading batters cheaply. Ijaz and Rashid supplied late acceleration, before Farooqi’s new-ball threat and the spin combination of Rashid and Mujeeb controlled Zimbabwe’s reply.

Afghanistan's top order remains an area in need of urgent improvement. Ibrahim Zadran scored just five runs in the 1st T20I, with Sediqullah Atal (2) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (18) also failing to fire with the bat.

Zimbabwe Form

Zimbabwe bowled Afghanistan out in the 1st T20I with five balls to spare. Newman Nyamhuri was superb with the ball as Afghanistan slipped to 45/4, picking up figures of 4/31.

Facing a reachable target Zimbabwe's chase was lookingi good at 48/1 only to stutter and stall. Ryan Burl (32) was the only Zimbabwe batter to pass 24 and the lost their last seven wickets for just 46 runs as they fell 37 runs short of their target. The usually reliable Sikandar Raza (17) and Brian Bennett (13) were looking set before caving to the Afghanistan attack.

A better performance in the powerplay and longer batting partnerships will be essential if the visitors are to level the series.

Team News

Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani could be in line to a run in the 2nd T20I which would definitely strengthen their pace attack. Brad Evans is available for the 2nd T20I but will sit out the final match of the series. Sharjah’s surface can reward changes of pace and spin but the opening match of the series demonstrated how quickly late hitting can lift a total.

Afghanistan (possible XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran (c), Sediqullah Atal, Mohammad Akram, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Zimbabwe (possible XI): Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Innocent Kaia, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (c), Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wessly Madhevere, Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri, Blessing Muzarabani, Wellington Masakadza.

Simon is a talented sports writer in South Africa with a strong focus on cricket having played first-team level for UCT, including playing at two Universities Weeks.

From a young age Simon was an avid reader of cricket magazines and books, and went on to be Editor of The Googly, CricketScene SA and SA Cricket, in addition to being a Features Writer on SA Sports Illustrated.

He has interviewed most of South Africa's premier cricketers and was the first writer to interview a teenaged Jacques Kallis.

Simon has also written about English and local football, rugby and cricket, in addition to major international tennis and golf stars and competitions.

You can follow more from Simon at Muckrack, X and LinkedIn.