Najib propels Afghanistan to 3-0 clean sweep over Zimbabwe

ABU DHABI: Najibullah Zadran hit a career best 72 as Afghanistan completed a 3-0 clean sweep over Zimbabwe with another dominant 47-run win in the third and final Twenty20 international in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

The left-hander hit five sixes and as many boundaries in his 35-ball knock which built the foundation of another impressive Afghan total of 183 for seven in 20 overs at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Zimbabwe struggled in reply as they slipped to 56 for five in the 11th over.

Sikandar Raza, 41 not out, and Ryan Burl, 39 not out, combined for an unbroken sixth wicket partnership of 80 but never came closing to matching threatening the Afghan total as they ended on 136-5 in 20 overs.

Raza hit two boundaries and a six in his 29-ball knock while Burl smashed three sixes and a boundary in his 31-ball innings.

Opener Tarisai Musakanda scored a 28-ball 30 with three boundaries and a six.

Allrounder Karim Janat was the pick of Afghanistan bowlers with 2-34.

Earlier, Zadran and Asghar added 59 for the fifth wicket to lift Afghanistan’s total who batted after winning a third toss in succession.

Zadran improved on his previous best of 69 not out made against the same opposition at Dhaka in 2019.

Asghar smashed two sixes and a boundary in a robust 12-ball innings of 24.

Opener Usman Ghani hit four boundaries and a six in his 31-ball 39 while Janat scored 14-ball 21 with a six and two boundaries.

Pace bowlers Richard Ngarava took two wickets each for Zimbabwe.

Afghanistan won the first match by 48 runs and second by 45 runs, also at the same venue.

The victory makes Asghar Afghan the most successful captain in all T20 internationals with 42 wins in 52 matches, passing India’s M.S. Dhoni who won 41 out of 72.

Score Board

Afghanistan won toss

Afghanistan

Rahmanullah Gurbaz c Mutumbami b Ngarava 18

Usman Ghani c Burl b Sikandar Raza 39

Karim Janat b Masakadza 21

Najibullah Zadran not out 72

Mohammad Nabi c Musakanda b Ngarava 2

Asghar Afghan c Masakadza b Akram 24

Rashid Khan c Mutumbami b Muzarabani 0

Sharafuddin c Masakadza b Muzarabani 0

Hashmatullah Shahidi not out 0

Extras: (lb3, w4) 7

Total: (Overs 20; 7 wkts) 183

Did not bat: Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Fall: 1-42 (Gurbaz), 2-75 (Janat), 3-83 (Ghani), 4-96 (Nabi), 5-155 (Asghar), 6-167 (Rashid), 7-167 (Ashraf)

Bowling: Masakadza 4-0-32-1, Ngarava 4-0-35-2, Akram 4-0-46-1, Muzarabani 4-0-41-2, Raza 2-0-14-1, Burl 2-0-12-0

Zimbabwe

T. Kamunhukamwe b Farooqi 1

T. Musakanda c Nabi b Haq 30

S. Williams b Nabi 14

M. Shumba c Gurbaz b Janat 8

Sikandar Raza not out 41

R. Mutumbami c Gurbaz b Janat 0

R. Burl not out 39

Extras: (lb1, w2) 3

Total: (Overs 20; 5 wkts) 136

Did not bat: Faraz Akram, W. Masakadza, B. Muzarabani, R. Ngarava

Fall: 1-2 (Kamunhukamwe), 2-39 (Williams), 3-52 (Musakanda), 4-56 (Shumba), 5-56 (Mutumbami)

Bowling: Farooqi 4-0-27-1, Nabi 4-0-29-1, Haq 3-0-17-1, Rashid 3-0-18-0, Janat 4-0-34-2, Ashraf 2-0-10-0

Result: Afghanistan won by 47 runs

Man of the Match: Najibullah Zadran (AFG)

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Izatullah Safi (AFG)