Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan in a Thriller at Harare

Zimbabwe secured a thrilling 4-wicket win in the first match of their three-match T20 series against Afghanistan at home. In a nail-biting finish, Zimbabwe needed 11 runs from the final 6 balls, and 24-year-old Tashinga Musakeya emerged as the hero, taking his team across the line. This victory marked Zimbabwe’s second-ever T20 win against Afghanistan in the past five years, giving Sikandar Raza’s team a perfect start to the series after their 2-1 loss to Pakistan.

In the match at Harare Sports Club, Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first, but they could only manage 144 runs after losing 6 wickets. The Zimbabwe bowlers kept the Afghan batsmen in check, laying the foundation for their team's victory. Zimbabwe’s chase was anchored by opener Brian Bennett, who scored 49 runs from 49 balls. Dion Myers also contributed 32 runs.

With 11 runs required from the last over, the match went down to the wire. Tashinga Musakeya, who had been at the crease, faced all six balls of the final over. In a dramatic conclusion, he guided Zimbabwe to a memorable win, securing their first T20 victory over Afghanistan in more than five years.

Afghanistan's batting, earlier in the match, had failed to get going. They managed just 144 runs in their allotted 20 overs. The Afghan top order was undone by Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani’s pace attack. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed for a duck in the first over, followed by another opener, Sediqullah Atal, who scored just 3 runs.

However, Hazratullah Zazai (20 runs) and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Ishaq (1 run) failed to make significant contributions. Afghanistan's total was bolstered by solid performances from Karim Janat and Mohammad Nabi. Janat remained unbeaten with a fine 54-run knock, while Nabi’s 44 runs off 27 balls provided Afghanistan with a challenging total. Despite Nabi’s departure as Ngarava’s third wicket, Janat's efforts ensured Afghanistan reached a total of 144 runs.

Zimbabwe’s 4-wicket victory marks a historic win for them, ending a five-year drought against Afghanistan in T20s.