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Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan produced a moment of magic to dismiss Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza during the second ODI of the UAE Tri-Nation Series 2026. His brilliant googly broke Zimbabwe’s hopes of building a comeback as Afghanistan registered a comprehensive 158-run victory at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday, October 19.
Rashid finished with impressive figures of 4/17 in eight overs, playing a crucial role in bowling Zimbabwe out for 136 while defending Afghanistan’s total of 294. The victory was built on a superb century from Sediqullah Atal and a commanding bowling display from the Afghan team.
The key moment arrived in the 36th over when Rashid delivered a perfectly disguised googly to dismiss Raza for 48 off 80 balls. The Zimbabwe captain was trying to steady the innings after his team lost early wickets, but the Afghanistan spinner had other plans.
Rashid tossed the ball up, tempting Raza to move forward and defend. However, the delivery turned sharply back into the batter, passing through the gap between bat and pad before crashing into the off-stump.
Raza’s attempt to push the ball away left him exposed as Rashid’s deception proved too good. The dismissal ended a determined knock that included three fours and one six, leaving Zimbabwe in serious trouble at 124/7.
The wicket was particularly important because Raza had been one of Zimbabwe’s few batters capable of rebuilding the innings. His departure effectively ended any realistic chance of a recovery, with Afghanistan’s spinners continuing to tighten their grip on the contest.
"There's no one better in ODI cricket than this man." ⚡👏#AFGvZIM | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam | #ThreeTeamsOneSpirit @rashidkhan_19 pic.twitter.com/NWW2k4c31M
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) October 19, 2026
Rashid’s dismissal of Raza was the highlight of an outstanding bowling performance. The leg-spinner claimed four wickets for just 17 runs, making it extremely difficult for Zimbabwe to score freely in the middle overs.
Fazalhaq Farooqi provided early breakthroughs, taking 2/15 and putting Zimbabwe under immediate pressure. Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar and Mohammad Nabi also contributed with a wicket apiece as Afghanistan maintained control throughout the chase.
Zimbabwe were eventually dismissed for 136 in 38.4 overs, falling well short of their target of 295. Brian Bennett and Ryan Burl offered some resistance, but the visitors struggled to recover from the loss of wickets in the powerplay.
Earlier, Afghanistan’s batters laid the foundation for the victory with an impressive performance after winning the toss and electing to bat first.
Sediqullah Atal led the charge with a composed 102 off 110 deliveries, striking eight fours and a six. Ibrahim Zadran also played a crucial role, scoring 90 from 96 balls, including nine fours and two sixes.
The pair shared a valuable partnership that helped Afghanistan build momentum and put Zimbabwe’s bowlers under pressure. Rahmanullah Gurbaz contributed 25, while Hashmatullah Shahidi added 28 as Afghanistan reached 294 all out in 50 overs.