Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2021, 3rd T20I: Afghanistan Complete Whitewash With Another Strong Win

Afghanistan completed a whitewash (3-0) in the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe after winning the last game of this series by 47 runs.

After the toss winners Afghanistan scored 183/7 (20 overs) in the first innings, Zimbabwe managed to reply with 136/5 in 20 overs.

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2021, 3rd T20I

2nd innings (Zimbabwe): Afghanistan bowlers were totally in control despite Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl’s late partnership

Zimbabwe once again had a poor start as they scored 56/5 in 10.3 overs. During that period, while Tarisai Musakanda scored 30 runs, captain Sean Williams was out for 14 runs and they were the only batsmen to score double-digit runs.

Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl handled the later stage but their partnership wasn’t enough to secure a consolable victory. At the end of that innings, they had an 80-run partnership for the unbroken sixth wicket. While Raza scored 41 not out off 29 balls (2 fours and only six), Burl scored 39 not out off 31 balls (only four and 3 sixes).

Karim Janat was the only Afghanistan bowler in that innings who got two wickets as his bowling figures were 4-0-34-2.

1st innings (Afghanistan): Najibullah Zadran was the star in the first innings

Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Usman Ghani set up the 42 runs partnership for the first wicket before Gurbaz was dismissed for 18 runs. Later, Karim Janat lost his wicket after scoring 21 runs while opener Usman scored 39 runs.

Mohammad Nabi, who fired on the last day, scored only 2 runs in this match. But then Najibullah Zadran and skipper Asghar Afghan set up the 59 runs partnership for the fifth wicket. Najibullah and Asghar both were very aggressive in the late moment of that innings as their batting helped Afghanistan to set up another 180+ total.

Just after Asghar was dismissed after scoring 24 off 12 balls in the 19th over, Najibullah completed his half-century in 30 balls in the same over with a sixer. After completing his fifty with a sixer, Najibullah scored 4, 4, 4, 2 and 6 respectively in his last five balls of that innings. While Blessing Muzarabani was on a hat-trick in the final over of that innings by dismissing Rashid Khan (0) and Sharafuddin (0) in the first two balls, Najibullah handled the next ball with a boundary.

Najibullah scored 72 not out off just 35 balls with the help of 5 fours and 5 sixes.

Among Zimbabwe bowlers, Richard Ngarava (2/35) and Blessing Muzarabani (2/41) both got two wickets each.

Brief Scores: Afghanistan – 183/7 in 20 overs (Najibullah Zadran 72*, Usman Ghani 39; Richard Ngarava 2/35)

Zimbabwe – 136/5 in 20 overs (Sikandar Raza 41*, Ryan Burl 39*; Karim Janat 2/34)

Result – Afghanistan won by 47 runs