Noor Ahmad's Maiden Five-For Seals Afghanistan's 3-0 T20I Sweep Over Zimbabwe

Left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad produced the best bowling performance of his T20I career as Afghanistan crushed Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the third and final T20I at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday to complete a 3-0 series sweep. Noor claimed 5/13 in 3.3 overs, his maiden five-wicket haul in the format, as Zimbabwe were bowled out for just 79 in 14.3 overs.

Afghanistan then raced to the target in only 8.1 overs, finishing the game with 71 balls to spare. The win was Afghanistan's second-biggest T20I victory in terms of balls remaining and their 22nd win in 24 T20Is against Zimbabwe. Azmatullah Omarzai, who struck the winning six, was named Player of the Series, while Noor collected the Player of the Match award.

Zimbabwe Lose Early Wickets After Being Put In

Afghanistan chose to bowl first, and their seamers made an immediate impact. Fazalhaq Farooqi removed Innocent Kaia in the very first over, and Omarzai followed up by dismissing Brian Bennett in the second. Zimbabwe were reeling at 8/2, and the pressure never really eased from there.

Captain Sikandar Raza, who had scored a brilliant century in the previous match, was expected to lead the recovery. Instead, he became the first international wicket for debutant Abdullah Tarakhail, a big moment for the young bowler and another heavy blow for Zimbabwe. Tarakhail went on to finish with impressive figures of 2/14 on debut.

Burl Fights Alone as Tensions Rise

Ryan Burl was the only Zimbabwe batter to offer real resistance. The left-hander battled his way to 30 from 29 balls, hitting five fours, and for a while he was the one player capable of giving Zimbabwe a respectable total.

Burl's innings also included a fiery moment with Rashid Khan. After the Zimbabwe batter missed a reverse sweep and was struck on the pad, Afghanistan's lbw appeal was turned down. A few deliveries later, the two players exchanged heated words, and on-field umpire Ahmad Shah Pakteen had to step in to separate them. The tension briefly resurfaced at the end of the over, when the other umpire, Farooq Khan, also intervened, before Rashid lightened the mood by blowing a flying kiss towards Burl.

Rashid finished with economical figures of 0/7 from two overs. Burl's stay eventually came to an end when he was trapped lbw by Abdollah Ahmadzai, removing the last real obstacle in Afghanistan's path.

Noor's Three Wickets in Four Balls Break Zimbabwe

The decisive phase of the match arrived in the 11th over, when Noor tore through the Zimbabwe middle order with three wickets in four deliveries. He first deceived Wessly Madhevere with a flighted googly that drew the batter out of his crease, allowing the wicketkeeper to complete a stumping.

Tafadzwa Tsiga was next, edging a catch to the slip cordon. Tadiwanashe Marumani then went for a big shot towards long-off, where Omarzai held on to a superb diving catch. Noor was on a hat-trick, and although he narrowly missed out on it, the damage had already been done.

The left-arm spinner returned to clean up the tail in his following overs, removing Newman Nyamhuri and Ernest Masuku to complete his five-wicket haul. Zimbabwe were bowled out for 79 in just 14.3 overs, a total that left Afghanistan with a straightforward chase.

A Record-Breaking Spell From Noor

Noor's figures of 5/13 were the best of his T20I career, improving on his previous best of 4/10, which also came against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2022. He became the first Afghanistan bowler to take a five-wicket haul against Zimbabwe in T20Is, and only the sixth Afghan bowler overall to record a five-for in the format.

The young spinner has now played 30 T20Is for Afghanistan, taking 25 wickets at an average of 27.08. He has also built a strong reputation in franchise cricket around the world, with more than 260 wickets across all 20-over matches.

After the match, Noor credited senior spinner Rashid Khan for his support. He explained that the pair had spoken a great deal during the series and worked on specific areas of his bowling, which paid off in this game. Noor described Rashid as the first person he turns to whenever he has doubts, while also admitting he still has plenty of room to improve.

Afghanistan Make Light Work of the Chase

Needing just 80 to win, Afghanistan approached the chase with intent. Mohammad Akram fell early after scoring 12, but Sediqullah Atal quickly took the attack to Zimbabwe, finding the boundary regularly and keeping the scoring rate high.

Ibrahim Zadran also played his shots freely, taking four boundaries off Ernest Masuku in one passage of play. Masuku did pick up two wickets, finishing with 2/21, but Zimbabwe simply did not have enough runs to defend.

Zadran remained unbeaten on 25, and Omarzai finished the match in style with a six, sealing a seven-wicket win in just 8.1 overs.

Omarzai's All-Round Brilliance Earns Series Award

Omarzai was one of the standout performers across the three matches, contributing with both bat and ball. His biggest moment came in the second T20I, when Afghanistan were in deep trouble at 5/4. Omarzai responded with a stunning 116 from just 50 balls, including 12 sixes and five fours, and shared a 142-run sixth-wicket partnership with Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, who made 52 from 27 balls.

That rescue act helped Afghanistan post 221/7. Zimbabwe responded strongly, with Raza hitting an unbeaten 106 from 56 balls, but they finished on 202/5 and lost by 19 runs.

Omarzai dedicated his Player of the Series award to his elder brother, who also works as his personal coach. He also welcomed the upcoming Afghanistan Premier League as a valuable opportunity for emerging players and encouraged young cricketers to make fitness a priority.

How the Series Unfolded

Afghanistan set the tone in the opening match on October 27. Batting first, they were bowled out for 177, with Ijaz scoring 52 from 22 balls and Rashid adding a quickfire 30 from 10. Zimbabwe were then restricted to 140, giving Afghanistan a 37-run win.

The second match on October 29 provided the most entertainment of the series, with Omarzai's century and Raza's unbeaten hundred lighting up Sharjah. That game also saw Rashid make history, as he became the first bowler to take 200 wickets in men's T20 internationals.

The third match was far more one-sided, with Noor's spell and Afghanistan's quick chase ensuring the series ended in a clean sweep.

For Zimbabwe, the series offered a few bright spots, most notably Raza's century in the second game, but their batting was inconsistent overall. Against an Afghanistan attack packed with world-class spin options, the visitors struggled to build partnerships, and the collapse in the final match showed how much work remains for them against quality slow bowling.

What Comes Next

The two teams will now switch to the longest format, with a two-match Test series beginning in Sharjah on November 5. Afghanistan will carry plenty of confidence into the Tests after a dominant T20I campaign, while Zimbabwe will be looking for a much-improved batting display after being bowled out cheaply in the series finale.

For Afghanistan, the series has also delivered several positives beyond the results. Noor's breakthrough performance, Omarzai's growing all-round impact and the debut wicket for Tarakhail all point to a strong pool of talent as the team prepares for its next set of challenges.