Afghanistan Sweeps Zimbabwe 3-0 in T20I Series with 9-Run Win in Harare

When Afghanistan chased down their third consecutive T20I victory over Zimbabwe by just nine runs on Sunday, November 2, 2025, at Harare Sports Club, they didn’t just win a match—they cemented a pattern. Afghanistan posted 210-3 in 20 overs, then held off a late Zimbabwe surge to finish at 201-10, completing a 3-0 series sweep in the Afghanistan tour of Zimbabwe 2025Harare. It was the 17th win in 19 T20Is between the two sides, and this time, it felt personal. Zimbabwe, desperate for momentum, had everything lined up: a returning legend, sunny skies, and home soil. But Afghanistan, cool as ever, had other plans.

A Batting Masterclass Under Harare’s Sun

Afghanistan’s innings was a clinic in controlled aggression. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, playing his 80th T20I, opened with Rahmat Zadran and exploded early—boundaries flying off both edges, the crowd gasping as one loopy legspinner from Graeme Cremer sailed over midwicket for six. Gurbaz finished 78 off 46, and Zadran chipped in with a brisk 52 off 34. The powerplay? A 67-run explosion. No wickets lost. By the 12th over, Afghanistan were already past 140. Even when Rashid Khan came in at number four, he didn’t need to dominate—he just needed to finish. His 28* off 14 balls, including a six over long-on, sealed the 210-3 total. It was Afghanistan’s highest score of the series, and the most telling sign: they weren’t just winning. They were rewriting expectations.

Zimbabwe’s Fight, and the Ghosts of Cremer

For Zimbabwe, this was supposed to be a redemption arc. Enter Graeme Cremer, 39, back after seven years. The legspinner, once Zimbabwe’s backbone, was brought in not just for his spin but for his aura. He took 1-34 in four overs, clean bowling Zadran with a slider that spun just enough. But the damage was already done. Zimbabwe’s chase started strong—Craig Ervine smashed 61 off 41, his 12th T20I fifty, looking every bit the captain Zimbabwe hoped he’d be. But when he fell in the 15th over, the collapse began. Three wickets in 12 balls. A caught-and-bowled off Fazalhaq Farooqi, his T20I debut. A stumping off Rashid. A run-out from a misjudged single. The final over? 14 needed. Zimbabwe got 11. The scoreboard read 201-10. A valiant effort. But not enough.

A Pattern, Not a Fluke

This wasn’t the first time Afghanistan crushed Zimbabwe in Harare. In the first T20I on October 29, 2025, Afghanistan posted 180-6 and bowled Zimbabwe out for 127 in 16.1 overs. The second, on November 1, saw Zimbabwe struggle to 125-10 in 19.3 overs while Afghanistan chased it down in 18 overs with three wickets to spare. Three matches. Three wins. Three times Zimbabwe’s batting crumbled under pressure. And each time, Afghanistan’s spin trio—Rashid, Mujeeb, and Zadran—were the architects. ESPN Africa called them “the architects of destruction,” and watching the footage, you couldn’t argue. Zimbabwe’s last win over Afghanistan in T20Is? That was back in 2017. Since then? 17 losses. 17 times the same script: early wickets, middle-order implosion, late hope too little, too late.

What This Means for Both Teams

For Afghanistan, this sweep is more than a stat. It’s proof they’re not just a team that can win—it’s proof they can win under pressure, on foreign soil, against a side that’s been trying to rebuild. With the T20 World Cup 2026 on the horizon, this performance will be studied in Lahore, Dubai, and Melbourne. Rashid Khan, now leading in 19 T20Is, is quietly becoming one of the most effective captains in the format. His calmness, his tactical use of spin, his ability to read the game—these aren’t just skills. They’re leadership.

For Zimbabwe? This series exposed a deep, systemic issue. Their top order has talent—Ervine, Muzarabani, Njiva—but they lack depth. The middle order keeps folding. The spinners, even with Cremer back, can’t contain the big hitters. And their fielding? Too many soft catches dropped, too many misfields. They’re not bad. They’re just outclassed. And in T20 cricket, that’s a death sentence.

What’s Next?

There are no immediate fixtures between the two teams. Afghanistan heads to the UAE for domestic training ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Zimbabwe’s next international assignment is the T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier Final in December, where they’ll face Namibia and Kenya again. But the shadow of this series will linger. The players know it. The fans know it. And the scoreboard? It doesn’t lie.