Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, AFG vs ZIM 2026, Today Match Prediction

AFG vs ZIM Match Prediction & Analysis

Afghanistan will be out to make it a 3-0 series win as they face Zimbabwe for the third time. Despite heavy collapses in the top order, the hosts bounced back each time to post a winning total.

Sikandar Raza led a strong fight in the last outing with an unbeaten hundred as the visitors fell short of the 222-run target. While the Zimbabwean skipper will be expecting a stronger comeback from his openers Brian Bennett and Innocent Kaia, the hosts will look up to Rahmanullah Gurbaz and skipper Ibrahim Zadran to get them off to a flier.

Zimbabwe’s Brad Evans looks promising with the ball and has delivered the top-order wickets in both outings. For the hosts, the spinners Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman will play a crucial role in giving them an edge in the contest.

Much like the hosts, Zimbabwe also suffered a few collapses, and worse, their collapse came in the second half of the innings in their opening game while chasing 171 runs. Will Ryan Burl and Wessly Madhevere rise to the occasion and deliver a strong finish with impactful knocks in the middle order?

RECENT PERFORMANCE

AFG

W W L W L

AFG

221/7 in 20.0 11.05

AFG vs ZIM 2026

Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 19 runs 29 Oct 2026

ZIM

202/5 in 20.0 10.1

AFG

177/10 in 19.5 8.92

AFG vs ZIM 2026

Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 37 runs 27 Oct 2026

ZIM

140/10 in 19.1 7.3

AFG

102/7 in 20.0 5.1

AG

Nepal beat Afghanistan by 5 wickets 25 Sep 2026

NEP

103/5 in 17.2 5.94

JPN

81/10 in 19.3 4.15

AG

Afghanistan beat Japan by 48 runs 24 Sep 2026

AFG

129/6 in 20.0 6.45

AFG

94/10 in 14.1 6.64

AFG vs IND

India beat Afghanistan by 127 runs 17 Sep 2026

IND

221/7 in 20.0 11.05

ZIM

L L L W L

AFG

221/7 in 20.0 11.05

AFG vs ZIM 2026

Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 19 runs 29 Oct 2026

ZIM

202/5 in 20.0 10.1

AFG

177/10 in 19.5 8.92

AFG vs ZIM 2026

Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 37 runs 27 Oct 2026

ZIM

140/10 in 19.1 7.3

RSA

205/5 in 20.0 10.25

NTT

South Africa beat Zimbabwe by 48 runs

06 Sep 2026

ZIM

157/10 in 18.0 8.72

NAM

156/6 in 20.0 7.8

NTT

Zimbabwe Won by 5 wickets

03 Sep 2026

ZIM

159/5 in 18.1 8.75

ZIM

142/10 in 17.4 8.04

NTT

South Africa won by 43 runs

01 Sep 2026

RSA

185/7 in 20.0 9.25

HEAD TO HEAD

TEAMS PREVIEW

Afghanistan Preview

The 24-year-old Ibrahim Zadran has led his team to back-to-back victories in the series. And while the skipper is yet to score a double-digit knock in the series, he’s been exceptional with his captaincy.

He rotated his bowlers well enough to ensure the opposition didn’t get away with a big partnership in the opening game. He brought in his key wicket-takers every time a partnership started brewing. However, in the last match, after Afghanistan reduced Zimbabwe to 82 for 5, there were no more wickets.

Zadran will be concerned about this performance from the bowlers. While they managed to successfully defend the total, he will be hoping for a stronger finish in this match. Abdullah Ahmadzai and Fareed Ahmad Malik are others in the bowling attack who must step up and deliver key breakthroughs.

In the batting lineup, the captain will be eager to find his rhythm and get the team to a strong start along with Rahmanullah Gurbaz at the top. Sediqullah Atal is a key player at number 4 and will be one to watch in this match. It was Azmatullah Omarzai who staged the miraculous comeback for Afghanistan in the last match with 116 off 50 balls at number 6.

In the opening game, Rashid Khan’s 30 off 10 at number 8 helped Afghanistan finish with a competitive total on the board after the top-order collapse.

Interesting Stats

Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai has scored back-to-back fifties at number 7 and has a strike rate of 212.24

Afghanistan lost 4 of their top-order wickets for just 5 runs in the last match and were 5 down for 66 in the previous outing

Afghanistan Predicted Playing XI:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran (c), Sediqullah Atal, Mohammad Akram, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Rashid Khan, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Abdullah Ahmadzai

Zimbabwe Preview

Sikandar Raza needs others to step up and deliver big knocks if the visitors are to finish on a winning note. Raza and Burl are among the experienced players in the side, but they cannot lead the side to victory on their own.

Brian Bennett is key to a strong batting performance. The opening batter must find a way to score runs at a faster rate and get the team off to a flying start. Raza and Burl hold key positions at 3 and 4 and will be expected to build key partnerships with others around them.

While wicket-keeper batter Tadiwanashe Marumani has failed to deliver in both matches, all-rounder Wessly Madhevere looked promising in the first match, scoring 17 off 8 balls with one four and a six. Madhevere used to bat higher up the order in the early phase of his career.

Tafadzwa Tsiga adds depth to the batting lineup. He scored 31 off 23 balls in the last match at number 7. He has given Zimbabwe some hope going into this match. If one of the top 4 batters stays longer at the crease, they will find Tsiga or Madhevere to help finish on a high.

Brad Evans is a key wicket-taker to watch out for. Kundai Matigimu and Ernest Masuku were quite expensive in the last game, but are quite promising. Matigimu dismissed 2 of the top 5 batters and also bowled a maiden over. Sikandar Raza is crucial with his spin-bowling on this wicket.

Interesting Stats

Innocent Kaia and Ryan Burl were the only batters in this lineup to score 20+ in the first T20I

Zimbabwe improved their powerplay performance, going from 38 runs in the first outing to 59 in the second

The only 50+ runs partnership for Zimbabwe came in the last match when Raza and Tsiga scored 120 runs for the 6th wicket

Zimbabwe Predicted Playing XI:

Brian Bennett, Innocent Kaia, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (c), Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Tafadzwa Tsiga, Brad Evans, Kundai Matigimu, Ernest Masuku, Vincent Masekesa

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

There will be clear skies in Sharjah with a high of 31 degrees Celsius around the start of the match with no chances of rain or cloud. The humidity will be between 55 and 60 per cent during the match. The weather will not have a significant impact on the playing conditions in the 3rd T20I between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.

AFG vs ZIM Pitch Report

Traditionally, the pitch at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium has been a balanced one where batters have enjoyed playing their strokes freely and the spinners have found help from the surface as the match progresses. This mostly happens in T20 tournaments as the pitch deteriorates. In a short, 3-match T20I series, there isn’t a lot of wear and tear and the wicket stays good for batting. The average first innings score at this venue in the series so far is 199 runs. Anything around 190 to 210 runs will be a highly competitive total in this match.

Toss: To Bat

Not only has the team batting first won both matches played here this series, but also won 46 of the total 77 T20I games played on this ground. After failing to chase down a total in the last two matches, Sikandar Raza opted to bowl first in both outings so far and suffered a defeat. He will be keen on correcting his mistakes in the final T20I.