Afghanistan's Record-Breaking Victory Over Zimbabwe

Afghanistan secured their largest ODI victory in history, thrashing Zimbabwe by a massive 232-run margin. The previous record for Afghanistan was a 177-run win against South Africa. In pursuit of a daunting target of 286, Zimbabwe crumbled for just 54 runs at Harare Sports Club.

Afghanistan’s Dominant Batting Performance

After losing the toss, Afghanistan was put in to bat. Their openers, Sediqullah Atal and Abdul Malik, laid a solid foundation, amassing a 191-run partnership in just 35 overs. Malik departed for 84, which included 11 fours and a six, off Newman’s bowling.

Sediqullah continued his fine form and scored 104 off 128 balls, featuring 8 fours and 4 sixes, before being caught by Ngarava off Newman. Contributions from captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (29) and Mohammad Nabi (18) helped Afghanistan post 286/6 in their allotted 50 overs.

Newman was the standout bowler for Zimbabwe, claiming 3 wickets for 53 runs.

Zimbabwe’s Dismal Batting Collapse

Chasing 287, Zimbabwe’s innings was dismantled by Afghanistan’s bowlers. By the time they had 11 runs on the board, they had already lost 4 wickets. A brief partnership between Sean Williams (16) and Sikandar Raza (19*) added 21 runs off 27 balls, but it was too little to stabilize the innings.

Once Williams fell at 16, the batting lineup collapsed entirely. Zimbabwe were bowled out for a paltry 54 in just 17.5 overs. Sikandar Raza remained unbeaten with 19 runs, the only notable contribution from the side.

Bowling Brilliance by Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s bowlers were exceptional, with Allah Ghazanfar and Naveed Zadran taking 3 wickets each. Fazalhaq Farooqi chipped in with 2 wickets to complete the rout.

This emphatic win highlights Afghanistan's growing dominance in ODI cricket, setting a benchmark for their highest-ever margin of victory.