Afghanistan Crush Zimbabwe by 158 Runs in Abu Dhabi Tri-Series After Atal's Century and Rashid's 4/17
By NajamSports Team | October 20, 2026
Afghanistan announced themselves as the team to beat in the Abu Dhabi ODI tri-series on Sunday night, dismantling Zimbabwe by 158 runs in the tournament's second match. Sediqullah Atal's composed 102 and a ruthless four-wicket haul from Rashid Khan did the damage as Zimbabwe were bundled out for just 136 chasing 295.
Photo: Ibrahim Zadran, whose 90 in a 140-run stand with Sediqullah Atal set up Afghanistan's total — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
What Happened?
Afghanistan won the toss at the Zayed Cricket Stadium and chose to bat first, and for 30 overs it looked like a 350-plus day. Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran added 140 runs for the second wicket, batting Zimbabwe's new ball into submission with some of the cleanest timing I have seen from this Afghan top order in a while.
Atal reached his third ODI century — 102 off 110 balls with eight fours and a six — and it came just a week after his Test hundred against Bangladesh. Two centuries in two formats in eight days. That is not form, that is a statement. Zadran, meanwhile, fell for 90 — the fourth time in his young career he has been dismissed in the nineties. He will not say it, but you could see the frustration in the walk back.
Full credit to Zimbabwe for refusing to roll over at 200-odd for one. Ernest Masuku (3/44) and Brad Evans (3/47) led a genuine fightback, Blessing Muzarabani (2/68) chimed in, and Afghanistan lost five wickets in the last five overs for just 34 runs to finish on 294 all out. At the innings break, Zimbabwe's dressing room would have felt they had dragged this game back from the brink.
They hadn't. The chase never got off the ground. Afghanistan's spinners squeezed the life out of it, and Rashid Khan finished with 4 for 17 — including the wicket that broke the ninth-wicket stand — as Zimbabwe folded for 136 in 38.4 overs.
Brief scores: Afghanistan 294 all out in 50 overs (Sediqullah Atal 102, Ibrahim Zadran 90; Ernest Masuku 3/44, Brad Evans 3/47) beat Zimbabwe 136 all out in 38.4 overs (Rashid Khan 4/17) by 158 runs.
Photo: Rashid Khan, whose 4 for 17 ripped through Zimbabwe's middle and lower order — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Latest Updates on Both Teams
- Sediqullah Atal now has ODI hundreds and a Test hundred within a week — the most in-form Afghan batter across formats right now, and my pick for the player of this tri-series so far.
- Ibrahim Zadran's nineties problem is becoming a pattern, not a coincidence: dismissed in the 90s for the fourth time. The talent is undeniable; the conversion is the next step.
- Rashid Khan reminded everyone why he remains the world's most feared white-ball spinner. 4 for 17 on a normal Abu Dhabi pitch is elite control.
- Zimbabwe played their second match of the tri-series within days of beating Bangladesh by 99 runs in the tournament opener. This was a very different Zimbabwe — the batting simply never found an answer to the spin.
Photo: Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe, whose side's late bowling fightback counted for little after the batting collapse — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Why This News Matters
Two things stood out to me. First, Afghanistan are quietly building genuine ODI depth. When Atal and Zadran fell, the innings wobbled — but the bowling unit bailed them out completely. Teams that win tournaments are the ones whose bowling covers a sub-par batting day, and 158-run wins cover a lot of sins.
Second, this is a warning for Bangladesh and Zimbabwe both: Afghanistan's spin pair will not give you a single free over. Zimbabwe fought hard with the ball in the last ten overs, which tells me their bowling plans are actually decent — but their batting against quality spin under lights remains their biggest unsolved problem. If they cannot solve it before the return fixtures, this tri-series could turn into a two-horse race very quickly.
Our Analysis
Here is my honest take: 294 was at least 40 runs short of what Afghanistan's start deserved. At 140 for one, they should have been eyeing 340. Zimbabwe's bowlers deserve real credit for the squeeze — five wickets for 34 runs in the last five overs is championship-level death bowling. But then Zimbabwe's batters made Afghanistan's total look 100 runs bigger than it was.
The scorecard tells the real story. A team does not lose by 158 runs because of one bad session; it loses because the two innings told opposite stories. Afghanistan's top two put on 140; Zimbabwe, from what we saw of the scoreboard pressure, never had a single partnership that pushed back. Rashid Khan's 4 for 17 was the knife, but the wound was self-inflicted long before he came on.
For Afghanistan, the takeaway is simple and positive: their best batter (Atal) is in the form of his life and their best bowler (Rashid) is doing Rashid things. For Zimbabwe, the takeaway is uncomfortable: beating Bangladesh by 99 runs two days ago now looks like the outlier, not this. They need their senior batters — Raza, Williams, Ervine — to stand up in the next game, or this tri-series will slip away from them before the return leg.
Conclusion
Afghanistan's 158-run win over Zimbabwe was as comprehensive as ODI cricket gets: a century, a 140-run stand, and a spin masterclass. Atal's golden run continues, Rashid's menace never left, and Zimbabwe are left with serious questions about their batting against spin. The Abu Dhabi tri-series has its first statement result — and it belongs to Afghanistan.
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Read More
- Zimbabwe Stun Bangladesh by 99 Runs — Zimbabwe's tri-series opener win, two days before this defeat
- BAN vs ZIM 1st ODI Preview: Who Wins in Abu Dhabi? — our preview of Zimbabwe's first tri-series outing
Sources
- ESPNcricinfo — UAE ODI Tri-Series 2026/27, AFG vs ZIM 2nd Match match report
- Sportradar live score feed — AFG vs ZIM 2nd ODI, final scorecard