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Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan, 1st T20I

Afghanistan won by 53 runs
AFG
180/6(20)
ZIM
127(16.1)
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Afghanistan have taken a lead in this series. And have gone 1-0 up. They were clinical both with the bat and the ball. Zimbabwe will look to bounce back and we will bounce off for the moment. Hop tabs and follow more cricket. That's it for today. Bye bye...
Rashid Khan: Pretty happy. We lost five T20s coming into this. Two during the Asia Cup and then against Bangladesh. We needed this. The openers gave us the base. Brilliant team effort. This is almost the same team which made it to the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 WC. It is the same team which lost these games. Important to start well. We started well with the bat and the ball. We have strong power-hitters in the middle-order. Hopefully, we can continue. We have lot of expectations from Ibrahim and Gurbaz.
Azmatullah Omarzai, Player of the Match: Happy for the win. Ibrahim and Gurbaz gave us good momentum. We used variations with the ball. We were targeting above 160. The bowlers started well. Wicket was slow. Ball was coming nicely though.
Sikandar Raza: Afghan boys played well in the powerplay. Had the score been 165, it could have been different. I don't think there was enough pace. That was certainly chaseable. We were off the mark today. We won't be precise enough. We were a little unlucky. If we can be precise at the top, we can score more runs. We will have a good game on friday. Had we got wickets in hand by the 15th over, it would have been a different game. The bottom order had a go and it is good in a way. But we don't want to see that often.
16:51 Local Time, 14:51 GMT, 20:21 IST: Afghanistan win by 53 runs and take a 1-0 lead. Their bowling came good on expected lines. Four of the top five only contributed a single run between them as Zimbabwe had an early collapse. Azmat and Mujeeb provided the early breakthrough and set Afghanistan up for this big win. Evans and Maposa delayed the inevitable with some gutsy hitting but it was too little too late. Even when that partnership started getting a few runs, Mujeeb was called back and he picked up two wickets to close out the game. Afghanistan earlier batted well to get to 180 on a wicket which showed signs of slowing down as the innings progressed. Afghanistan after being humbled in the Test have come back strong. Hang on for the presentation.
16.1
W
Abdullah Ahmadzai to Muzarabani, out Bowled!! Knocked him over. Afghanistan finish it early. That was on a length, at the sticks, Muzarabani made a tame effort to play at it and missed the line of the delivery to be clean bowled. Abdullah Ahmadzai finishes it off. Afghanistan take a 1-0 lead. Muzarabani b Abdullah Ahmadzai 1(2)
Abdullah Ahmadzai to Muzarabani, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!
Abdullah Ahmadzai [2.0-0-20-1] is back into the attack
16
2 W 4 1 W 1 (8 runs)
ZIM 127-9
Blessing Muzarabani
1(1)
Richard Ngarava
5(2)
Mujeeb Ur Rahman
3-0-20-4
15.6
Mujeeb to Muzarabani, 1 run, on the pads and has been tucked down on to the on-side for a single
Blessing Muzarabani, right handed bat, comes to the crease
15.5
W
Mujeeb to Tinotenda Maposa, out Caught by Gurbaz!! Taken by the keeper. That was a tossed up delivery, Tinotenda Maposa looked to slog sweep and got a massive top-edge on the sweep. The keeper called for it and took it easily. 9th one down. Fourth wicket for Mujeeb who has been superb today. Tinotenda Maposa did entertain till he was there but the fun has ended. Tinotenda Maposa c Gurbaz b Mujeeb 32(15) [4s-5]
Mujeeb to Tinotenda Maposa, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
15.4
Mujeeb to Ngarava, 1 run, inside edges the ball down to short fine and gets a single. The third umpire was called in but he made it easily
15.3
4
Mujeeb to Ngarava, FOUR, quicker one, outside off, Ngarava looks to push at it and gets an inside edge. The ball flies past the sticks for a four
Richard Ngarava, left handed bat, comes to the crease
15.2
W
Mujeeb to Brad Evans, out Caught&Bowled!! Chipped back. That was a fuller length delivery, angled in, Brad Evans chipped it back as he played the shot a little too early. End of the partnership. Afghanistan made the change and have got the wicket. Vital wicket indeed. Brad Evans c and b Mujeeb 24(19) [4s-2]
Mujeeb to Brad Evans, THATS OUT!! Caught&Bowled!!
15.1
Mujeeb to Brad Evans, 2 runs, tucks the ball down wide of long-on for a brace
Mujeeb Ur Rahman [2.0-0-12-2] is back into the attack
15
2 1 2 0 4 2 (11 runs)
ZIM 119-7
Tinotenda Maposa
32(14)
Brad Evans
22(17)
Azmatullah Omarzai
4-0-29-3
14.6
Azmatullah to Tinotenda Maposa, 2 runs, fifty between the duo! Short ball, outside off, slashed over cover for a brace. Not timed but they will take it