AFG vs ZIM ODI Final Match Prediction: Who Will Win the UAE Tri-Series
Afghanistan and Zimbabwe meet at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday evening with the UAE ODI tri-series trophy on the line. Afghanistan have been the team of the tournament — unbeaten, with a net run rate of +2.362 — and they thrashed these same opponents by 158 runs just four days ago. Zimbabwe, though, earned their place in the final the hard way, beating Bangladesh in the opener, and they arrive with nothing to lose and a hoodoo to break: they have not beaten Afghanistan in an ODI since 2018. Here is our full preview: match details, the road to the final, squads, probable playing XIs, pitch report, head-to-head numbers, key battles and a clear match prediction.
AFG vs ZIM ODI Final: Match Details, Timings and Venue
| Match | Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, Final |
|---|---|
| Series | ODI Tri-Nation Series in UAE 2026 (Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh) |
| Date | Friday, October 23, 2026 |
| Start time | 5:00 PM IST (toss at 4:30 PM IST) |
| Venue | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah |
| Format | 50-over ODI, day-night fixture |
| Live streaming (India) | FanCode (no TV broadcast) |
| TV (Afghanistan) | ATN (Ariana Television) |
| TV (Zimbabwe) | ZBC TV |
| TV (USA/Canada) | Willow TV |
Road to the Final: Tri-Series Points Table and Results
Afghanistan topped the group with two wins from two; Zimbabwe finished a clear second after their opening-day victory over Bangladesh made Bangladesh’s elimination a formality.
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | +2.362 |
| Zimbabwe | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -0.590 |
| Bangladesh | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -1.733 |
October 17, Abu Dhabi — Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 99 runs: Zimbabwe posted 271 for 8, built on Craig Ervine’s 93 and Brendan Taylor’s 81, then bowled Bangladesh out for 172, with Brad Evans taking 4 for 45. It was the win that ultimately sent Zimbabwe to the final.
October 19, Abu Dhabi — Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 158 runs: Sediqullah Atal’s 102 and Ibrahim Zadran’s 90 carried Afghanistan to 294, before Rashid Khan’s 4 for 17 routed Zimbabwe for 136. The most one-sided game of the series — and a warning for Friday.
October 21, Sharjah — Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets: Rashid Khan took 4 for 31 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 160, and Rahmat Shah’s unbeaten 67 guided the chase home with 87 balls to spare. Read our report on Afghanistan’s 7-wicket win over Bangladesh that sealed their place in this final.
Afghanistan Team Preview: Unbeaten Favourites Hunting the Trophy
Afghanistan could hardly have scripted a better tournament. Their batting has been led from the top — Ibrahim Zadran is the series’ leading run-scorer with 124 runs including 90 against Zimbabwe, Sediqullah Atal announced himself with a 102 against these opponents, and captain Rahmat Shah’s unbeaten 67 against Bangladesh was a masterclass in chase management. The bowling has been even better: Rashid Khan has 8 wickets in two games (4 for 17 and 4 for 31), Azmatullah Omarzai has taken two wickets in each outing, and the spin depth of Mohammad Nabi and Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar gives Rahmat options for every phase.
The most ominous number for Zimbabwe is Rashid’s career record against them: 50 ODI wickets at just 14.18. On a slowing Sharjah surface, against a side he dismissed for 136 four days ago, Rashid is the single biggest factor in this final. Afghanistan are expected to field an unchanged side.
Afghanistan squad: Rahmat Shah (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (vc & wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharoti, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Yamin Ahmadzai, Qais Ahmad (travelling reserve). For more on their calendar, see Afghanistan’s upcoming matches schedule.
Zimbabwe Team Preview: One Last Chance to End Eight Years of Hurt
Zimbabwe’s tournament has been a story of two very different performances. The opener against Bangladesh was superb — Ervine and Taylor’s 174-run stand, Evans’ four-wicket haul, a 99-run win that booked the final. The second game was a reality check — rolled for 136 by Afghanistan’s spinners, beaten by 158 runs. Which Zimbabwe turns up in Sharjah decides whether this is a contest.
Their hopes rest on three men: Craig Ervine, whose last four ODI innings read 59, 38, 59 and 93 and who is comfortably Zimbabwe’s form batter; Brendan Taylor, 81 in the opener and keeping wicket; and Brad Evans, the breakout seamer with seven wickets in the series including three against Afghanistan. Captain Sikandar Raza, standing in for the injured Richard Ngarava, top-scored with 48 in the defeat to Afghanistan and must lead from the front again. The historical baggage is heavy — five straight completed defeats to Afghanistan, no win since 2018 — but knockout cricket has a way of resetting narratives.
Zimbabwe squad: Sikandar Raza (c), Ben Curran, Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans, Brendan Taylor (wk), Brian Bennett, Craig Ervine, Ernest Masuku, Newman Nyamhuri, Ryan Burl, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Tafadzwa Tsiga (wk), Vincent Masekesa, Wellington Masakadza, Wessly Madhevere.
Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe Head-to-Head Record in ODIs
The head-to-head is decisively one-sided. Across 31 ODIs, Afghanistan have won 20 and Zimbabwe 10, with one no-result — and the recent trend is even starker than the overall numbers.
| ODIs played | 31 |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan won | 20 |
| Zimbabwe won | 10 |
| No result | 1 |
| First meeting | July 2014 |
| Zimbabwe’s last win | 2018 |
| Most recent bilateral | December 2024, Harare — Afghanistan won by 232 runs and 8 wickets; one game abandoned |
Zimbabwe have lost the last five completed ODIs between the sides, including the 158-run defeat in this tournament on October 19. History says this fixture belongs to Afghanistan; Friday is Zimbabwe’s chance to rewrite it.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium Pitch Report and Weather
Sharjah is one of world cricket’s most storied ODI venues — 263 ODIs, with 138 won by the team batting first and 123 by the chaser, a near-even split. The average first-innings score is 223 and the average second-innings score 190; this is not a modern 300-plus ground. The surface is typically slow and sluggish with short boundaries (58–65 metres), and spin grows in influence as the game wears on — the team batting second often finds the ball gripping.
That pattern was on show in the October 21 game here: Bangladesh managed only 160, and Afghanistan knocked it off three down. The toss could be genuinely important — chasing lets a side avoid batting against Rashid Khan and company on a worn, gripping pitch under lights, though evening dew can then aid the team bowling second. With 240-plus totals winning the large majority of games here in the modern era, the first-innings par is probably around 250. The weather will be a non-factor: Sharjah is forecast to be sunny and 35°C by day, clear and 29°C at night, with zero chance of rain — though the heat will test both sides in the first session.
AFG vs ZIM Probable Playing 11
Afghanistan have no reason to change a winning combination; Zimbabwe may consider shuffling their bowling after the 158-run defeat. Based on the league games:
Afghanistan probable XI
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
- Sediqullah Atal
- Rahmat Shah (c)
- Hashmatullah Shahidi
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Mohammad Nabi
- Rashid Khan
- Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
- Yamin Ahmadzai
Zimbabwe probable XI
- Ben Curran
- Tadiwanashe Marumani
- Craig Ervine
- Brendan Taylor (wk)
- Sikandar Raza (c)
- Ryan Burl
- Wessly Madhevere
- Brad Evans
- Wellington Masakadza
- Blessing Muzarabani
- Ernest Masuku
Key Battles That Could Decide the Final
Rashid Khan vs Zimbabwe’s middle order
This is the defining mismatch of the final. Rashid has 50 ODI wickets against Zimbabwe at 14.18, took 4 for 17 against them four days ago, and has 8 wickets in two games this tournament. If Zimbabwe’s top order leaves him anything to work with in the middle overs on a slowing Sharjah pitch, the innings could unravel exactly as it did on October 19.
Brad Evans vs Afghanistan’s top order
Evans has been Zimbabwe’s find of the series — 4 for 45 against Bangladesh and three wickets against Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s openers, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, have given every innings a platform so far; if Evans can strike twice with the new ball, Zimbabwe have a route into the game.
Craig Ervine vs the Afghan spinners
Ervine is in the form of his life — 93 against Bangladesh, scores of 59, 38 and 59 before that. But Afghanistan’s spin trio is a different examination from Bangladesh’s attack. How long Ervine survives against Rashid, Nabi and Ghazanfar may determine whether Zimbabwe post a competitive total.
AFG vs ZIM Match Prediction: Who Will Win the Tri-Series Final?
Our prediction: Afghanistan will win. They are unbeaten, they beat these opponents by 158 runs four days ago, Rashid Khan is in devastating form with 8 wickets in the tournament, and the head-to-head reads 20-10 with no Zimbabwe win since 2018. On a slow Sharjah surface made for their spinners, Afghanistan should lift the trophy — most likely by 5-plus wickets or 40-plus runs.
Zimbabwe’s route to an upset is narrow but real: win the toss and chase, get Ervine and Taylor to repeat their opening-day heroics, and have Brad Evans rip through Afghanistan’s top order with the new ball. Finals can defy form — but everything in this tournament says Afghanistan.
Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe ODI Final FAQs
When is the AFG vs ZIM ODI tri-series final?
Friday, October 23, 2026. The match starts at 5:00 PM IST, with the toss at 4:30 PM IST.
Where is the AFG vs ZIM final being played?
At the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah. It is a day-night game in the ODI tri-nation series also featuring Bangladesh.
How did Afghanistan and Zimbabwe reach the final?
Afghanistan won both league games (by 158 runs vs Zimbabwe and 7 wickets vs Bangladesh) to top the table. Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 99 runs in the opener to finish second; Bangladesh lost both games and were eliminated.
What is the Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe ODI head-to-head record?
The sides have played 31 ODIs: Afghanistan have won 20, Zimbabwe 10, with one no-result. Zimbabwe have not beaten Afghanistan in an ODI since 2018.
What is Rashid Khan’s record against Zimbabwe?
Rashid Khan has 50 ODI wickets against Zimbabwe at an average of 14.18, including 4 for 17 against them earlier in this tournament on October 19.
Where can I watch AFG vs ZIM live in India?
The final is streamed live in India on FanCode (no TV broadcast). In Afghanistan it is on ATN (Ariana Television), in Zimbabwe on ZBC TV, and in the USA and Canada on Willow TV.