Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2026: T20I and Test Schedule, Squads

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe is trending because the two sides opened a three-match men's T20 International series at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Afghanistan won the opener by 37 runs, bowling Zimbabwe out for 140 in reply to 177, and lead the series 1-0. The remaining T20Is are on October 29 and November 1, both starting at 18:30 Gulf Standard Time (14:30 GMT, 20:00 IST), and two Tests follow on November 5–9 and November 13–17.

Afghanistan are the home side for a series staged in the UAE, and Zimbabwe stayed on after the ODI tri-series that Afghanistan won on October 23. This guide covers the schedule in five time zones, both squads, the head-to-head record and where to watch. Everything here is as of October 28, 2026.

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2026 schedule and start times

The Afghanistan Cricket Board fixture list puts all five matches at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, and the ICC report on Zimbabwe’s squads gives the same dates.

• 1st T20I: Tuesday, October 27 (Afghanistan won by 37 runs)
• 2nd T20I: Thursday, October 29
• 3rd T20I: Sunday, November 1
• 1st Test: Thursday, November 5 to Monday, November 9
• 2nd Test: Friday, November 13 to Tuesday, November 17

T20I start times

The T20Is are night games starting at 18:30 local time, according to LatestLY and Mr Cricket UAE. In other time zones:

• UAE (GST): 18:30
• UK and UTC (GMT): 14:30
• India (IST): 20:00
• Zimbabwe (CAT): 16:30
• US East (ET): 10:30 on October 29, and 09:30 on November 1 because US clocks go back that morning

One Wisden preview gives the UK start as 3:30pm, but British clocks went back on October 25, so 18:30 in Sharjah is 14:30 in London. The Sunday Guardian also lists 2:30pm GMT.

Test start times

ESPN’s listing for the 2nd Test shows play starting at 10:00 local time, with lunch at 12:00 and stumps at 17:00. That is 06:00 GMT, 11:30 IST, 08:00 CAT and 01:00 ET. Mr Cricket UAE lists a 09:00 GST start instead, so check the official time before November 5.

1st T20I result: Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 37 runs

Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bowl. Afghanistan slipped to 18 for 3 inside three overs and 66 for 5 in the 12th, according to the scorecard. Shahidullah (46 off 42 balls) steadied the innings, and Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai hit a 20-ball fifty on his way to 52 off 22.

Rashid Khan then struck four sixes in 30 off 10 balls before Afghanistan were bowled out for 177 with one ball of their innings unused. Newman Nyamhuri took 4 for 31, and debutant Ernest Masuku took two wickets in one over. Zimbabwe played without fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani, who had not recovered from a niggle.

Chasing 178, Zimbabwe were 38 for 1 after the powerplay but slipped to 56 for 3 near halfway, after Rashid bowled Innocent Kaia with a googly, ESPNcricinfo's match report said. Ryan Burl top-scored with 32 off 24 and added 38 with Sikandar Raza (17). From 94 for 4 in the 14th over, Zimbabwe lost their last six wickets for 46 runs and were all out for 140 in 19.1 overs.

Fazalhaq Farooqi took 3 for 13, and Rashid Khan, named player of the match, added 2 for 20 to his 30 off 10 balls. An ANI report carried by The Tribune gave the same totals and 37-run margin.

Squads

Afghanistan T20I squad

Ibrahim Zadran (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Noor Rahman (wicketkeeper), Sediqullah Atal, Mohammad Akram, Shahidullah Kamal, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Abdullah Tarakhil, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Fareed Ahmad Malik. Reserves: Faridoon Dawoodzai, Qais Ahmad and Nangyalai Khan.

Wisden noted that veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi and Darwish Rasooli were left out, while Ijaz and Shahidullah returned.

Zimbabwe T20I squad

Sikandar Raza (captain), Ben Curran, Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans, Brian Bennett, Innocent Kaia, Kundai Matigimu, Newman Nyamhuri, Ryan Burl, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Vincent Masekesa, Wellington Masakadza and Wessly Madhevere.

The ICC said Raza leads because regular captain Richard Ngarava is still recovering from a back injury. Matigimu replaces Evans for the third T20I, and Kaia was picked while recovering from a thigh strain. Ernest Masuku, who was named in the ODI squad but not in the original T20I list, played the opener.

Test squads

Afghanistan's Test squad is led by Rahmat Shah, with Ikram Alikhil as vice-captain. According to the ACB announcement, Rashid Khan and Ibrahim Zadran are still being rested from Test cricket on medical advice. As of October 28, we found no announced Zimbabwe Test squad, and ESPN's match listing on October 27 showed it as not yet announced.

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe head-to-head record

In T20Is the record is one-sided. Afghanistan went into the series having won 19 of the 21 matches, with Zimbabwe winning two, according to the Sunday Guardian and CricketAddictor. The 37-run win made it 20 wins from 22, and a sixth straight T20I win over Zimbabwe, ESPN noted. Afghanistan have now won all five T20Is between the sides in Sharjah.

ESPN’s report on the 53-run win in Harare in October 2025 counted it as Afghanistan's 17th win in 19 T20Is against Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan went on to sweep that series 3-0. Zimbabwe's most recent T20I win over Afghanistan came by four wickets in Harare on December 11, 2024. LatestLY says both Zimbabwe wins came in 2024, but series records show only one that year, so treat that claim with caution.

Tests are much closer. The sides have met five times, with two wins each and one draw. They split a two-Test series in Abu Dhabi in March 2021 1-1, and Afghanistan took the 2024-25 series in Bulawayo 1-0 after a draw. Zimbabwe won the last meeting, in Harare in October 2025, by an innings and 73 runs. ESPN reported it was Zimbabwe's first home Test win since 2013.

Form guide

Afghanistan come in as champions of the UAE ODI tri-series, which they won unbeaten. In the October 23 final, Amu TV reported, they bowled Zimbabwe out for 169 and chased the target in 34.3 overs. Ibrahim Zadran made 70 not out and Rashid Khan was player of the series with 11 wickets. Raza top-scored for Zimbabwe with 68.

Afghanistan's recent T20 results were weaker. LatestLY counted one win in their last five completed T20Is before this series. Zimbabwe's previous T20I event was a tri-series in September, and they lost the final to South Africa by 48 runs, Wisden reported.

How to watch Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe

Broadcasters named in previews published October 25–27, 2026:

• India: streaming on the FanCode app and website, as listed on FanCode’s match page and by LatestLY.
• Afghanistan: Ariana Television, with streaming on the Etisalat app, per Wisden’s broadcast guide and Mr Cricket UAE.
• Pakistan: A Sports on TV and Tamasha for streaming.
• USA and Canada: Willow.
• Zimbabwe: the Sunday Guardian lists ZBC TV and the SuperSport app, but we could not confirm this from a second source.
• UK and elsewhere: no broadcaster had been named in the sources we checked. Wisden said details for other regions would be added once confirmed.

Rights can change, so check your local provider's listings. Live scorecards are on ESPNcricinfo, and both boards post updates on their official channels.

What to watch for next

• 2nd T20I, October 29: Zimbabwe must win to keep the series alive. It is also Brad Evans's last T20I of the series before Matigimu replaces him.
• 3rd T20I, November 1: Matigimu comes in for Evans, and Muzarabani's fitness is worth watching.
• Zimbabwe's Test squad: still to be named, including whether Ngarava is fit to return.
• The Tests: Afghanistan will be without Rashid and Ibrahim, while Zimbabwe won the last Test between the sides.

For another live series, see our India vs New Zealand cricket guide.

Our take

Based on the sources above, the two formats tell different stories. In T20Is, 19 wins from 21 meetings and a slow Sharjah pitch that suits Afghanistan's spinners make them clear favourites. In the opener they recovered from 18 for 3 to 177, with Rashid Khan coming in at No. 8, and then defended it with something to spare. The Tests look far more open: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan heavily in Harare a year ago, and Afghanistan's Test side will be missing its two biggest names.

Frequently asked questions

Who won the 1st T20I between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe?

Afghanistan won by 37 runs in Sharjah on October 27, 2026. They were bowled out for 177, with Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai making 52, and then dismissed Zimbabwe for 140 in 19.1 overs. Rashid Khan was player of the match, and Afghanistan lead the three-match series 1-0.

When is the next Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe match?

The 2nd T20I is on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, starting at 18:30 GST (14:30 GMT, 20:00 IST, 16:30 CAT, 10:30 ET). The 3rd T20I is on Sunday, November 1, at the same local time, which is 09:30 ET after US clocks change.

Where can I watch Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe live?

In India the series streams on FanCode. Ariana Television and the Etisalat app carry it in Afghanistan, A Sports and Tamasha in Pakistan, and Willow in the USA and Canada, according to Wisden and other previews. ZBC TV has been reported for Zimbabwe but had not been confirmed by a second source as of October 28, 2026.

When are the Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe Test matches?

The 1st Test runs November 5–9 and the 2nd Test November 13–17, 2026, both in Sharjah. ESPN lists a 10:00 local start (06:00 GMT, 11:30 IST), though one preview gives 09:00, so check closer to the day. Rashid Khan and Ibrahim Zadran are being rested from Tests.

What is the Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe head-to-head record?

Afghanistan have won 20 of the 22 T20Is between the sides, including the 37-run win in Sharjah on October 27, 2026, and all five meetings at that ground. Tests are level: five played, two wins each and one draw, with Zimbabwe winning the most recent in Harare in October 2025.

Sources

1. ACB Names Squads for Bangladesh and Zimbabwe Series, Afghanistan Cricket Board
2. Zimbabwe announce white-ball squads for UAE tour, ICC
3. Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, 1st T20I full scorecard, ESPN (ESPNcricinfo)
4. Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, 1st T20I match report, ESPN (ESPNcricinfo)
5. Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 37 runs in 1st T20I as Ijaz Ahmadzai, Rashid Khan shine, The Tribune (ANI)
6. Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, 2nd Test match details, ESPN (ESPNcricinfo)
7. Omarzai, Mujeeb and Zadran blow Zimbabwe away in T20I series opener, ESPN (ESPNcricinfo)
8. Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan, only Test, day 3 report, ESPN (ESPNcricinfo)
9. AFG vs ZIM T20Is, all you need to know: full schedule, squads, venue and match timings, Wisden
10. AFG vs ZIM T20I live streaming and TV channels: where to watch live and start time, Wisden
11. AFG vs ZIM 2026: Schedule, live streaming, broadcasters, squads and all you need to know, Mr Cricket UAE
12. AFG vs ZIM 1st T20I 2026: Where to watch, date, time, venue, squads, The Sunday Guardian
13. Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, live streaming online and free telecast, 1st T20I 2026, LatestLY
14. AFG vs ZIM playing 11 today, live streaming, pitch and weather: 1st T20I 2026, CricketAddictor
15. Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets to win ODI tri-series, Amu TV
16. AFG vs ZIM live match info, FanCode
17. Afghan cricket team in Zimbabwe in 2025–26, Wikipedia
18. Afghan cricket team in Zimbabwe in 2024–25, Wikipedia
19. Zimbabwean cricket team against Afghanistan in the UAE in 2020–21, Wikipedia

How we wrote this

GessyMorgan explainers are built from public reporting and official sources. This post draws on the 19 sources listed above, each linked where we use it. It was drafted with AI assistance and checked against those sources before publishing. We did not test products, attend events or interview anyone for this article. Facts are current as of October 28, 2026, and we update the post when they change.