Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 158 runs in the second match of the ODI tri-series in Abu Dhabi on 19 October 2026. Sediqullah Atal made 102 and added 140 for the second wicket with Ibrahim Zadran (90), and Rashid Khan then took 4 for 17 as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 136 in 38.4 overs. Atal was named player of the match.

The result keeps all three teams alive before the last league game, Afghanistan vs Bangladesh on Wednesday 21 October. Afghanistan and Zimbabwe have two points each; Bangladesh, beaten by Zimbabwe in the opener, have none. ESPNcricinfo noted that Zimbabwe would have sealed a place in the final had they passed 196 in this chase.

Match summary

Afghanistan innings: Atal and Zadran set it up

Rahmanullah Gurbaz gave Afghanistan a quick start with 25 off 20 balls, and the opening stand was worth 50. Ibrahim Zadran then did most of the early scoring before Atal found his rhythm. The pair took Afghanistan from 50 for 1 to 190 for 2. Zadran fell for 90 off 96 balls, ten short of a hundred; Atal went on to 102 off 110.

Zimbabwe, who had brought in Ryan Burl and Ernest Masuku, fought back in the second half of the innings. Afghanistan slipped from 217 for 4 to 294 all out in the final over. Brad Evans (3/48) and Masuku (3/44) shared six wickets.

Zimbabwe innings: another top-order collapse

For the second game in a row, Zimbabwe lost early wickets. Ben Curran, Tafadzwa Tsiga and Brendan Taylor were all gone with the score on 26, and Brian Bennett (31) fell at 43 for 4. Raza and Burl added 64 for the fifth wicket, but once Rashid had Burl lbw for 31 the innings fell apart: Zimbabwe slid from 107 for 4 to 124 for 7. Raza was bowled by a googly for 48 off 80 balls, and the last wicket fell to a run-out at 136.

Top scorers

Tri-series standings and what’s next

The third league match, Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, is on 21 October, and the final on 23 October, both at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. ESPNcricinfo lists both games for 11:30 GMT (5:30pm in Bangladesh, 5pm in India). An Afghanistan win would send Afghanistan and Zimbabwe to the final. A Bangladesh win would leave all three teams on two points, with net run rate deciding the two finalists.

Read our report on the first match: Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 99 runs, and the tri-series preview with squads.

FAQ

Who won the Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe ODI in Abu Dhabi?

Afghanistan won by 158 runs. They made 294 and bowled Zimbabwe out for 136 in 38.4 overs.

Who was the player of the match?

Sediqullah Atal, for his 102 off 110 balls.

Can Bangladesh still reach the tri-series final?

Yes. Bangladesh must beat Afghanistan on 21 October. All three teams would then be on two points and net run rate would decide the finalists.