Afghanistan take on Zimbabwe in the final of the UAE ODI tri-series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday, October 23, 2026. It is a day-night game starting at 4:30 PM PKT (toss at 4:00 PM), and it matters for one more reason: this is Sharjah's first ODI tournament final since 2003, 23 years after the last one.
Short answer to who will win: Afghanistan, and comfortably. They are unbeaten in the tournament, their spinners have owned these conditions, and they thrashed this same Zimbabwe side by 158 runs just four days ago. Below I lay out the full case — form, head-to-head, key battles, pitch report and both probable playing 11s — so you can judge the prediction yourself.
Rashid Khan in Afghanistan colours (file photo, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons) — 8 wickets in two tri-series games.
Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe Final: Form Guide
Afghanistan (last 5 ODIs: W, W, W, W, W) — five consecutive ODI wins. In this series they beat Zimbabwe by 158 runs in Abu Dhabi and then chased down Bangladesh's 160 in just 35.3 overs at this very ground on Wednesday. Rahmat Shah's side has looked a class above everyone else in the UAE.
Zimbabwe (last 5 ODIs: W, L, L, L, L) — their only recent win came against Bangladesh in the series opener (271/8, won by 99 runs). Since then they were dismantled by Afghanistan for 136 and have looked uncomfortable against quality spin on slow tracks.
UAE Tri-Series Results So Far
- Oct 17, Abu Dhabi: Zimbabwe 271/8 (50 ov) beat Bangladesh 172 (33.4 ov) by 99 runs.
- Oct 19, Abu Dhabi: Afghanistan 294 (50 ov) beat Zimbabwe 136 (38.4 ov) by 158 runs. Sediqullah Atal 102 (Player of the Match), Ibrahim Zadran 90; Rashid Khan 4/17.
- Oct 21, Sharjah: Bangladesh 160 (41.2 ov) lost to Afghanistan 161/3 (35.3 ov) by 7 wickets, 87 balls to spare. Parvez Hossain Emon 70, Saif Hassan 41; Rashid 4/31, Azmatullah Omarzai 2 wickets; Rahmat Shah 67 not out.
Points table: Afghanistan 2 matches, 2 wins, 4 points (NRR +2.36) · Zimbabwe 2 matches, 1 win, 2 points (NRR −0.59) · Bangladesh 2 matches, 0 wins, 0 points (NRR −1.73) — eliminated. You can revisit how the finalists got here in my Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh report and the Afghanistan vs Bangladesh result.
Team Comparison: Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe Head-to-Head
The head-to-head record is heavily in Afghanistan's favour. The two sides have met in 32 ODIs: Afghanistan have won 21, Zimbabwe 10, with one no-result. More telling is the recent trend — Afghanistan have won all four of the last completed meetings between the sides, and the October 19 demolition (294 vs 136) is the freshest data point we have.
Why does the gap look so wide? Spin. Zimbabwe's batting against Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar has repeatedly collapsed: on October 19 they lost their last seven wickets for next to nothing once Rashid (4/17 in 8 overs) found his rhythm. Craig Ervine's 93 against Bangladesh remains Zimbabwe's standout batting performance of the tournament — but that came against a much weaker attack.
Ibrahim Zadran in Afghanistan team colours (file photo, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons) — 124 runs in two tri-series innings.
Key Battles to Watch
- Rashid Khan & co. vs Zimbabwe's top order. Brian Bennett, Craig Ervine, Brendan Taylor and captain Sikandar Raza must survive the middle overs against Rashid (8 wickets in 2 series games), Nabi and Ghazanfar. Whoever handles the Afghan spin handles Zimbabwe's chances.
- Sediqullah Atal & Ibrahim Zadran vs Blessing Muzarabani. Atal (102) and Zadran (90) destroyed Zimbabwe four days ago. Muzarabani and Brad Evans need early wickets; if Afghanistan's openers settle, the game runs away quickly.
- Rahmat Shah vs the situation. The Afghan captain's unbeaten 67 against Bangladesh showed how he absorbs pressure. In a final, that calmness is the difference between a collapse and a chase.
Pitch Report and Conditions: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The Sharjah surface is slow and low, and it gets slower as the night goes on. Spinners are expected to dominate — the October 21 game at this ground saw Bangladesh folded for 160, with Afghanistan's spinners doing the damage again. There can be uneven bounce late in the evening, and dew under lights tends to favour the chasing side.
Toss prediction: the captain who wins the toss will likely bowl first. Batting second has been the winning formula here, and with dew around, chasing looks the percentage call again.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium under lights (CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons) — hosts its first ODI tournament final in 23 years.
Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe Playing 11 (Probable)
Afghanistan probable XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah (c), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi. (Yamin Ahmadzai played against Bangladesh on Wednesday, so Afghanistan could rotate one seamer.)
Zimbabwe probable XI: Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Wesley Madhevere, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Ernest Masuku, Blessing Muzarabani.
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza in limited-overs colours (file photo, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons) — 48 vs Afghanistan on Oct 19.
My Prediction: Who Will Win the AFG vs ZIM Final?
Prediction: Afghanistan win — by 6 wickets or 60+ runs if they bat first. My reasoning is simple: five straight ODI wins, a 21–10 head-to-head edge, a 158-run win over this exact opponent four days ago, and a spin attack tailor-made for a slow Sharjah track. This is not a guess based on reputation; every verified number points the same way.
Zimbabwe's route to an upset is narrow but real: their top four must see off the first 15 overs against spin without losing more than one wicket, Raza has to produce a captain's innings, and Muzarabani must strike twice with the new ball. If two of those three happen, we get a final. My honest read is that one of them might.
For context on how one-sided the last meeting was, read my Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2nd ODI preview — and the result of that game is exactly why I am this confident today.
AFG vs ZIM Final: FAQs
When and where is the Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe final?
Friday, October 23, 2026, at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Start 4:30 PM PKT, toss 4:00 PM PKT (3:30 PM UAE local).
Where can I watch AFG vs ZIM final live?
In India on Eurosport and FanCode; in the USA on Willow TV; Zimbabwe on ZBC; Afghanistan on Ariana TV and Lemar TV; global streaming on ICC.tv.
What is the Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe head-to-head record in ODIs?
32 ODIs: Afghanistan 21 wins, Zimbabwe 10 wins, one no-result. Afghanistan have won the last four completed meetings.
Who will win the UAE ODI tri-series final?
Afghanistan are the clear favourites — unbeaten in the series, five straight ODI wins, and a 158-run victory over Zimbabwe on October 19. My prediction: Afghanistan by 6 wickets or 60+ runs.
What is your call for the final? Drop it in the comments — and if you want the result the moment it happens, that report goes up within 30 minutes of the last ball.