Afghanistan Playing XI vs Zimbabwe- 1st T20I, Afghanistan Tour of Zimbabwe 2025
Published - 29 Oct 2025, 02:00 PM
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Zimbabwe will face Afghanistan in the first of the three T20Is of Afghanistan's tour of Zimbabwe 2025. This article provides details about Afghanistan's Playing 11 vs Zimbabwe for the first T20I.
Afghanistan Playing XI vs Zimbabwe- 1st T20I, Afghanistan Tour of Zimbabwe 2025:
Openers: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal
Afghans would want to break the string of losses that the team is currently experiencing in the T20I format of the game, having lost the last series against Bangladesh by a margin of three matches to none.
The Rashid Khan-led side would wish to have a good start to the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe, scheduled to begin on Wednesday (October 29) in Harare.
The team management and the captain would want a better outing from the batters as compared to how they performed in the last assignment against Bangladesh.
The onus will be on the opening batters to get the team off to a good start in the first six overs.
Afghans will open the innings with Sediquallah Atal and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who would hope to score some individually as well, along with laying a platform for the incoming batters to capitalize on.
Middle-order batsmen and all-rounders: Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Bashir Ahmad, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Rashid Khan (c)
The opening pair will be followed by a middle order, which includes the likes of Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Nabi, and Azmatullah Omarzai.
Each of the above-mentioned batters has the capability of playing a match-winning knock for the team and would want to showcase it in the opening game of the three-match series.
One of the biggest advantages that the Afghans have over their opponent, Zimbabwe, is that it bats deep.
The Afghan batting lineup extends till number nine, with captain Rashid Khan walking in to bat at that particular position in the batting order.
Batting depth will only work if the top five Afghan batters score the majority of the runs for the team, so that the lower middle order can throw the bat around and add valuable runs for the team at the backend of the innings.
Bowlers: Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad Malik
For starters, the Afghan bowlers would want the batters to post enough runs on the board for them to play with, as it was something that they failed to do in all three matches against Bangladesh.
If the batters succeed in fulfilling their job, the bowling attack of Afghanistan is skilled enough to restrict the opposition from chasing the target.
The bowling arsenal of the visitors will comprise Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmad, Sharafuddin Ashraf, and Fareed Ahmad Malik.
Out of the above-mentioned names, Fareed Ahmad Malik and Azmatullah Omarzai will take care of Afghanistan's fast bowling department.
It will be the experienced spin bowling trio of Noor Ahmad, Rashid Khan, and Mohammad Nabi that will take care of the spin bowling by keeping things tight in all three phases of the innings.
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Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Afghanistan National Cricket Team Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe Sikandar Raza Rashid Khan
