Afghanistan Crush Zimbabwe in Harare: Mujeeb’s Masterclass, Omarzai’s All-Round Spark

Afghanistan won both powerplays. With the bat, they surged to 63/0 after 6, then recovered from a mid-innings wobble to plunder 50 in the last 4 overs. With the ball, they produced a five-wicket powerplay, effectively ending the chase inside 30 minutes. The template was simple and ruthless: front-foot intent + matchup bowling + elite death execution.

Match Snapshot

• Result: Afghanistan 180/6 beat Zimbabwe 127 all out by 53 runs

• Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran 52 (31), Gurbaz 39 (25), Omarzai 27 (21), Shahidullah 22* (13); Raza 3-20 for ZIM

• Zimbabwe: Maposa 32 (15), Bennett 24 (13); Mujeeb 4-20, Omarzai 3-29 for AFG

• Series: Afghanistan lead 1–0; now 17 wins in 19 T20Is vs Zimbabwe

• Venue/Date: Harare, Oct 29, 2025

Phase-by-Phase: How the Game Tilted

Powerplay (Overs 1–6): Momentum Manufactured

• Afghanistan batting: Only 6 off the first 11 balls, then a switch flipped—four boundaries in five balls. Gurbaz attacked square of the wicket; Zadran drove and pulled anything back of a length. Brad Evans’ 5th over went for 16, and AFG finished 63/0—the ideal T20 launch.

• Zimbabwe batting: Bennett cracked three fours in the first over to hint at a chase… and then the storm hit. Mujeeb’s lbw + carrom-ball gold in the second over, Omarzai’s bounce and heavy-length in the 4th and 5th created three ducks in the top five. Zimbabwe slumped to a historically bad powerplay (their most wickets lost inside six in T20Is).

Middle Overs (7–15): Raza’s Riposte vs AFG’s Reset

• Raza’s class: A one-run, double-strike over removed Zadran (52) and Rasooli off consecutive balls to make it 101/3 and stall AFG for 20 balls without a boundary.

• Afghanistan’s counter: Sediqullah Atal broke the drought with a pull for six; although Muzarabani’s late double (Atal, Nabi) made it 130/5 (16), Omarzai and Shahidullah rebooted with smart pace-use and risk control.

Death Overs (16–20): 50-Run Uplift

• Shahidullah’s finish: 22* off 13, mostly percentage strokes using the pace.

• Omarzai’s glue: 27 off 21—low-risk twos, well-chosen swings.

• Final ball: Rashid Khan lofted long-on for six to close at 180, a score that forced Zimbabwe to over-attack early—and into Mujeeb’s trap.

Bowling Blueprint: Why Afghanistan’s Attack Works Everywhere

Mujeeb ur Rahman: The Illusionist (4-20)

• Carrom ball + length control: Identical arm speed, late dip, and stump-to-stump lines make pre-meditation hazardous.

• New-ball menace: He attacks pads and top of off, then slips in the carrom when the batter commits to a swing arc. That’s how top-order hitters end up miscuing or playing around the ball.

Azmatullah Omarzai: The Tone-Setter (3-29)

• Overs 1–6 role: After a leaky first over, he hit the deck harder, used the cross-seam, and went chest-high to the splice—Raza and Burl fell to hard-length and surprise bounce.

• Two-skill value: Those new-ball wickets mattered as much as his late-overs batting. He essentially bookended the win.

Support Crew & Fielding

• Abdollah Ahmadzai: seam-up poles and a direct-hit—Harare rewards straight, skiddy lengths when the ball’s harder.

• Rashid Khan: didn’t even need a headline spell; his mere presence closed scoring options in the middle.

Batting Notes: What Afghanistan Did Right

Ibrahim Zadran’s Control (52 off 31)

• Range without rashness: Down-the-ground percentages, midwicket drill for pace-on, glide against width. He handled back-of-a-length cleverly, never getting stuck.

• Tempo: 31-ball fifty came right as Zimbabwe looked to squeeze—his boundary bursts punctured field traps.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s Role (39 off 25)

• Field-manipulation: Early shuffle to create off-side access; cut and drive over point/cover forced deep third and cover back, opening singles.

Finishing Pair: Omarzai + Shahidullah

• Shot selection: Low-trajectory drives and rolls into gaps, no across-the-line slog-fest until set. That discipline is why Afghanistan extracted 50 at the death without chaos.

Zimbabwe: Positives, Problems, Path Forward

Positives

• Sikandar Raza (3-20): World-class control; his one-run, double-strike over flipped the innings for a spell.

• Tinotenda Maposa (32 off 15 at No.9): Showed a clear method—target pace-on, use angle to access leg-side pockets; a handy late-order blueprint.

• Evans–Maposa stand: Proved AFG’s fifth bowler can be milked if you pick the right matchups.

Problems

• Top-order game plan vs spin: No clear plan for Mujeeb’s carrom ball. Too much pre-commitment to swing across the line.

• Shot selection under pressure: Three ducks in the top five tell a story—hard length + indecision equals edges and mis-hits.

• Powerplay collapse habit: Once early wickets fell, there was no throttle-down rebuild—only panic.

What Can Change by Oct 31 (2nd T20I)

• Train the default: Play Mujeeb straighter; treat carrom like a hard length—present the full face, take one, live to the next ball.

• Staggered intent: Use a “one enforcer, one absorber” template in PP—Bennett can attack, partner soaks.

• Left-right switches: Force bowlers to reveal pace early; kill their preferred angle.

• Spin to win in middle: Keep Raza for post-PP overs 7–12 where Afghans reset; bring a second spinner to pair lines (off-spin into the pocket, leg-spin wider).

Tactical Board: Why the Matchups Favoured Afghanistan

1. Zimbabwe seamers short of a length to Gurbaz/Zadran → cut/pull options unlocked, field pushed back, singles free.

2. Raza vs new batter → immediate wickets, but no follow-through partnership from the other end to extend squeeze.

3. Omarzai vs hitters → hard length into hip/ribs; miscues to leg-side catcher in ring.

4. Mujeeb vs pre-commit hitters → carrom ball punished swing-first mindset; Zimbabwe needed a ‘late hands’ plan and didn’t have one.

Selection & Strategy Watch for Game 2

Afghanistan

• If defending again: Keep Mujeeb two upfront overs; save one for post-PP to hit incoming right-handers.

• Batting order: Float Shahidullah to No.6 ahead of Nabi when pace-on is prevalent; his pace-use was superb.

• New-ball share: Back Omarzai with an aggressive ring (two catchers leg-side) to reward the bouncer plan.

Zimbabwe

• Top-order tweak: Consider a stabiliser at No.3 who plays V-shaped strokes; protect Raza for the middle where he flips games.

• Bowling plans to Zadran/Gurbaz: Less “hip-high” pace-on; more wide yorkers and back-spun cutters into the pitch.

• Death batting roles: Promote Maposa one spot earlier if platform exists—he’s shown the gears.

Key Numbers

• AFG PP score: 63/0

• AFG last 4 overs: 50 runs

• ZIM PP wickets lost: 5 (their worst in a T20I powerplay)

• Mujeeb: 4-20 (two in first spell, two to close)

• Omarzai: 27 (21) + 3-29

• Zadran: 52 (31) — 31-ball fifty

• Maposa: 32 (15) — lower-order surge

Context & Undercurrents: Milestones and Motivation

• Rashid Khan is closing in on a landmark tally of 500 T20 appearances; his workload management since back surgery has sharpened his control. Even without a headline haul here, his lanes suffocated Zimbabwe’s middle.

• Graeme Cremer’s return adds curiosity and control to Zimbabwe’s spin stocks; if he plays, pairing his wrist-spin with Raza’s off-spin could create a genuine middle-overs choke.

Afghanistan didn’t need a perfect night; they needed the phases that matter. They won four of six: PP bat, PP ball, death bat, new-ball strike. That’s a traveling template—conditions agnostic, matchup-driven. The bench strength is real (Shahidullah stepping in after two years) and the roles are crystal clear.

Conclusion: Same Storyline, Sharper Edges

Afghanistan’s 53-run win wasn’t just dominance—it was a systems victory.

• With the bat, a fearless PP, then composure, then clinical finishing.

• With the ball, Mujeeb’s deception boxed in the chase, Omarzai’s hostility ripped out the core, and the support cast tidied up.

• For Zimbabwe, there are green shoots—Raza’s spell, Maposa’s spark—but the powerplay plan and spin method need immediate fixes.

Game 2 on October 31 is less about wholesale changes and more about discipline under pressure. If Zimbabwe can delay Afghanistan’s control of the early overs and deny Mujeeb free looks at pre-meditated swings, the series tightens. If not, Afghanistan’s track record—and their ruthless phase control—will likely push them to 2–0.