ZIM vs AFG second T20I Preview | Afghanistan look to seal series with another clinical showing

Today at 6:18 PM

Hosts Zimbabwe will face off against Afghanistan in the second T20I at the Harare Sports Club on Friday. With the Asian side winning the first game by 53 runs at the same venue, it will be a do-or-die contest for the home side in the three-match series, with the last game scheduled for Sunday.

‌Afghanistan will look to seal the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe at the first possible instance when both sides meet at the Harare Sports Club for the second game on Friday. The visitors have momentum behind them after their comprehensive 53-run win in the first game at the same venue on Wednesday, while the hosts will have to play out of their skin to keep the series alive till the last game.

The visitors would be impressed that they were able to pull off a comprehensive win without notable contributions from the ever-dependent skipper Rashid Khan. Azmatullah Omarzai had an excellent outing with an all-round performance, which saw him score 27 with the bat before registering a three-wicket haul.

Opener Ibrahim Zadran and mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman also came good as the visitors dominated Zimbabwe in all three departments. Meanwhile, the hosts’ top order was at sixes and sevens with all of them, except Brian Bennett, failing to reach double figures.

Some fight from the batters lower down lent some respectability to their total in an otherwise awful batting display. Captain Sikandar Raza was the lone bright spot in the home side’s bowling with his economic spell fetching three wickets, while Blessing Muzarabani’s two-wicket haul was a touch expensive.

Form Guide

ZIM Form: W W W W L

AFG Form: L L L L W

ZIM vs AFG head-to-head in T20Is

Afghanistan are overwhelming favourites if head-to-head records are anything to go by, with the Asian outfit winning a whopping 17 of the total 19 games. The home side have been victorious on two occasions, with their last win coming in December 2024.

ZIM 2 - 17 AFG

Pitch and Conditions

The surface at the Harare Sports Club is expected to be flat and will support the batters early on before slowing down for the spinners to take over. As in the first game, both sides will look to bat first and post a formidable total before tying down the opposition under difficult batting conditions.

It will be hot and cloudy afternoon In Harare with temperatures expected to be around 31 degrees. Though there will be thick cloud cover, there are no chances of rain during the course of the match.

Team News

Both Afghanistan and Zimbabwe are expected to play the same side that took field in the first game at the same venue a day ago.

ZIM Expected XI

Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brendan Taylor (wk), Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Tinotenda Maposa, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani.

AFG Expected XI

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Shahidullah, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fareed Ahmad, Abdollah Ahmadzai.