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Afghanistan began their three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe on a winning note, securing a convincing 37-run victory at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. While the contest featured several impressive individual performances, one extraordinary fielding effort stood out and quickly became a major talking point among cricket fans.
Afghanistan batter Shahidullah Kamal produced a breathtaking one-handed catch to dismiss Zimbabwe’s Ryan Burl during the second innings. The stunning effort left Afghanistan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi visibly amazed, with the bowler struggling to hide his smile after witnessing his teammate pull off an exceptional piece of fielding.
The spectacular moment unfolded on the first delivery of the 17th over of Zimbabwe’s innings. Farooqi bowled a slower delivery on a short-of-a-length outside off stump, inviting Burl to attack the ball. The Zimbabwe batter moved forward and struck it powerfully, sending the ball racing towards the left of extra cover. However, Kamal reacted brilliantly, stretched out his left hand and completed a remarkable one-handed catch despite the ball travelling at considerable speed.
What made the dismissal even more impressive was the ease with which Kamal completed the difficult effort. He secured the ball cleanly before throwing it away in celebration, while Farooqi covered his mouth with his hand, unable to contain his astonishment at what he had just witnessed.
Replays further highlighted the quality of the catch, showing Kamal moving swiftly towards his left before extending his arm at full stretch to grab the ball.
.@fazalfarooqi10 and @25shahidkamal join hands to give Afghanistan the 6th wicket in the game! 👏#AfghanAtalan | #AFGvZIM | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/aGzV2n9wm3
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) October 27, 2026
Earlier in the match, Afghanistan endured a difficult start after being asked to bat first on a slow Sharjah surface that offered assistance to the bowlers. The hosts slipped to 66/5, leaving their innings in danger of falling apart. However, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai produced a remarkable counterattack, smashing 52 runs off just 22 deliveries to register his maiden T20I half-century.
His aggressive knock helped Afghanistan regain momentum before Rashid Khan provided another explosive contribution towards the end. Rashid hammered 30 runs from only 10 balls, helping the team post 177 before being bowled out in 19.5 overs. Zimbabwe’s young pacer Newman Nyamhuri was among the standout performers with the ball, claiming four wickets for 31 runs to trigger a late collapse.
Zimbabwe struggled to build momentum during their chase of 178, finding Afghanistan’s bowling attack difficult to handle on the challenging surface. Burl emerged as their leading contributor with 32 runs, but the middle order failed to establish the partnerships required to keep the chase alive.
Farooqi delivered an outstanding spell, finishing with figures of 3/13, while Rashid complemented his explosive batting with two wickets for 20 runs. Zimbabwe were eventually dismissed for 140 in 19.1 overs, handing Afghanistan a 37-run victory. Rashid’s all-round contribution earned him the Player of the Match award.