AFG vs ZIM 3rd T20I Match Prediction: Can Afghanistan Complete the Whitewash at Sharjah?

Afghanistan have already won the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, but the final match in Sharjah still has a clean sweep on the line. Zimbabwe, led by a captain in extraordinary form, will be desperate to avoid a whitewash, while Afghanistan will want to finish a dominant white-ball tour with a third straight win. This AFG vs ZIM 3rd T20I match prediction looks at the match details, the series so far, team form, the Sharjah pitch, probable playing XIs, key battles and our pick.

AFG vs ZIM 3rd T20I match details and live streaming

Match	Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, 3rd T20I, Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe in UAE
Date	Sunday, November 1, 2026
Time	8:00 PM IST (6:30 PM local time in Sharjah, toss 7:30 PM IST)
Venue	Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
Format	T20 International
Series score	Afghanistan lead 2-0
Live streaming in India	FanCode app and website
Zimbabwe captain	Sikandar Raza

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe T20I series so far: Afghanistan lead 2-0

Afghanistan won the opener by 37 runs and the second match by 19 runs, and both games followed a similar pattern: Afghanistan’s lower middle order rescued or supercharged the innings, and Zimbabwe’s chase fell short despite moments of real quality.

Match	Venue	Result
1st T20I, October 27	Sharjah	Afghanistan won by 37 runs
2nd T20I, October 29	Sharjah	Afghanistan won by 19 runs
3rd T20I, November 1	Sharjah	To be played

In the first T20I, Afghanistan were bowled out for 177 in 19.5 overs after recovering from 66 for 5 in the 12th over. Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai smashed 52 off 22 balls, Shahidullah Kamal made a patient 46 off 42 balls, and Rashid Khan struck 30 off just 10 balls. Zimbabwe were then bowled out for 140 in 19.1 overs, with Ryan Burl top-scoring with 32, while Fazalhaq Farooqi took 3 for 13 and Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman took two wickets each.

The second T20I was even more dramatic. Put in to bat, Afghanistan collapsed to 5 for 4 in the fourth over and then to 38 for 5, before Azmatullah Omarzai produced one of the great T20I rescue innings. Omarzai scored 116 off 50 balls, with five fours and 12 sixes, reaching his hundred off just 44 balls and becoming the first player from a full-member side to score a T20I century from number six or below. He shared a 142-run sixth-wicket stand with Ahmadzai, who made 52 off 27 balls, and Rashid Khan finished the innings with an unbeaten 25 off six balls as Afghanistan reached 221 for 7.

Zimbabwe’s reply was built almost entirely on their captain. Sikandar Raza finished unbeaten on 106 off 56 balls, with five fours and nine sixes, but Zimbabwe closed on 202 for 5 and lost by 19 runs. The match also produced a major milestone for Afghanistan: Rashid Khan became the first bowler to take 200 wickets in men’s T20 Internationals, reaching the landmark by dismissing Tadiwanashe Marumani.

Afghanistan team preview: firepower all the way down the order

Afghanistan’s greatest strength in this series has been their batting depth. They have been in serious trouble in both matches, 66 for 5 in the opener and 5 for 4 in the second, and still posted totals their bowlers could defend. That is because the players coming in at numbers six, seven and eight, Ahmadzai, Omarzai and Rashid Khan, are all capable of changing a match in a handful of overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz at the top remains a key player, even though he has not yet dominated this series, because his early hitting can remove the pressure that has forced the middle order into rescue jobs.

The bowling attack is equally well suited to Sharjah. Rashid Khan, now the first man to 200 T20I wickets, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad give Afghanistan three high-quality spin options, while Fazalhaq Farooqi’s left-arm pace has been the pick of the seamers, with 3 for 13 in the opener. If Afghanistan’s top order finally fires in the third match, Zimbabwe could be chasing a very large total indeed.

Zimbabwe team preview: Raza cannot do it alone, but he nearly did

Zimbabwe’s problem in this series has not been a lack of fight. It has been a lack of support for their captain. Raza’s unbeaten 106 in the second match was a superb innings, but no other Zimbabwe batter passed 35 in that game, and the chase still fell 19 runs short. In the opener, Burl’s 32 was the top score as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 140. For Zimbabwe to win the final match, they need at least two other batters to make substantial contributions around Raza, and they need their bowlers to repeat the early breakthroughs that had Afghanistan at 5 for 4 and 66 for 5.

There is encouragement for Zimbabwe in those early breakthroughs. Newman Nyamhuri took 4 for 31 in the opener, including three wickets in the final over, and the new-ball bowlers have repeatedly troubled Afghanistan’s top order. If Zimbabwe can take early wickets again and this time hold the middle order in check, a first win of the tour is not out of the question. Zimbabwe will also know that Afghanistan, with the series already won, could rotate players, which may open a door.

Sharjah Cricket Stadium pitch report

Sharjah has produced two very different matches in this series, which tells its own story about the pitch. The opener was played on a slow, grippy surface on which Afghanistan struggled to 177 and Zimbabwe were bowled out for 140. Two days later, the same ground produced 221 for 7 and 202 for 5, with Afghanistan hitting 19 sixes in their innings. The lesson is that Sharjah rewards batters who play themselves in and then attack, and it punishes teams that lose early wickets, because rebuilding on a two-paced surface is difficult.

Spin is likely to be important again, particularly in the middle overs, and the side that handles Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman best will have a big advantage. A first-innings total around 180 to 200 should be competitive, and anything above 210 will be very hard to chase if Afghanistan’s spinners get into the game.

AFG vs ZIM probable playing XIs for the Sharjah finale

These are probable XIs only, based on the players who featured in the first two matches. The confirmed teams will be announced at the toss, and Afghanistan could rotate with the series already decided.

Afghanistan probable XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Rashid Khan (captain), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad and Fareed Ahmad Malik.

Zimbabwe probable XI: Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Innocent Kaia, Sikandar Raza (captain), Ryan Burl, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wicketkeeper), Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Newman Nyamhuri and Ernest Masuku.

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe head-to-head record in T20Is

Afghanistan have dominated this fixture for years. After winning the series opener, their record against Zimbabwe in T20Is stood at 20 wins and two defeats, and the second win extended that to 21 wins from 23 meetings. Zimbabwe’s challenge in the finale is therefore not just about one match, but about breaking a pattern that has held across almost the entire history of this fixture.

Key battles that will decide AFG vs ZIM 3rd T20I

Azmatullah Omarzai vs Zimbabwe’s new-ball bowlers

Omarzai has been the player of the series, with 7 in the opener followed by 116 off 50 balls in the second match. Zimbabwe’s bowlers have dismissed him cheaply once and been destroyed by him once. If they can keep him quiet early, Afghanistan’s middle order looks far less threatening.

Sikandar Raza vs Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Raza made 17 in the opener and then an unbeaten 106 in the second match, and he is Zimbabwe’s only batter in form against spin. Rashid and Mujeeb dismissed him cheaply in the first game, and the rematch between Raza and Afghanistan’s spinners in the middle overs is the most important contest in the match.

Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai vs Zimbabwe’s death bowling

Ahmadzai has scored 52 off 22 balls and 52 off 27 balls in the two matches so far, and he has been the accelerator in both Afghanistan innings. Zimbabwe’s death bowlers, who conceded 103 runs in the last five overs of the second match, must find a way to contain him if they are to keep Afghanistan below 200.

AFG vs ZIM 3rd T20I match prediction: who will win in Sharjah?

Zimbabwe have a genuine opening in this match. They have had Afghanistan in trouble in both games, Raza is in the form of his life, and Afghanistan may rotate with the series already won. If Zimbabwe win the toss, bowl first, take early wickets and this time keep Omarzai and Ahmadzai under control, they can win.

That is a lot of conditions to meet at once, though, and Afghanistan have answered every challenge in this series so far. Their batting depth means even a top-order collapse is not fatal, their spin attack is perfectly suited to Sharjah, and their confidence after two wins, including a record-breaking rescue act, is sky high. Zimbabwe need almost everything to go right; Afghanistan need only one of their many match-winners to fire.

Prediction: Afghanistan to win the 3rd T20I and complete a 3-0 series whitewash. Expect another high-scoring game at Sharjah, with Afghanistan posting around 190 to 210 and then defending it through Rashid Khan and the spinners, even if Raza produces another big innings in a losing cause.

AFG vs ZIM 3rd T20I FAQs

When is the AFG vs ZIM 3rd T20I?

Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 8:00 PM IST at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah.

Where can I watch AFG vs ZIM 3rd T20I in India?

On the FanCode app and website with a subscription.

What is the series score before the 3rd T20I?

Afghanistan lead 2-0 after winning by 37 runs on October 27 and by 19 runs on October 29.

Who scored a century in the 2nd T20I?

Azmatullah Omarzai scored 116 off 50 balls for Afghanistan, and Sikandar Raza finished unbeaten on 106 off 56 balls for Zimbabwe.

Who is the first bowler to 200 T20I wickets?

Rashid Khan, who reached the milestone during the second T20I at Sharjah.

Read our AFG vs ZIM 2nd T20I match result and our AFG vs ZIM 2nd T20I match prediction for the full story of the series so far.