Introduction
The Zimbabwe National Cricket Team 🇿🇼 vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team 🇦🇫 players’ rivalry is a gripping narrative of resurgence and raw talent in global cricket, where Africa’s grizzled warriors clash with Central Asia’s spinning sorcerers in battles that often hinge on individual brilliance amid team turmoil. Since their first Test in 2014, this matchup has evolved into a cauldron of contrasts—Zimbabwe’s seam-swing duo of Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava probing Afghanistan’s top-order fragility, countered by Rashid Khan’s leg-spin wizardry and Ibrahim Zadran’s elegant opening strokes. Key players like Sikandar Raza, the Zimbabwean all-round maestro with 785 ODI runs and 47 wickets against Afghanistan, embody resilience, while Rahmat Shah’s 392 Test runs in 2025 series highlight Afghanistan’s batting depth. Iconic moments define the drama: recall Rashid’s career-best 7/66 in the January 2025 Bulawayo Test, flattening Zimbabwe for 205 to seal a 72-run win and a 1-0 series triumph, or Ben Curran’s debut 121 in October’s Harare Test, propelling Zimbabwe to a historic innings victory—their third by an innings ever.
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Tactical battles electrify: Afghanistan’s spin trap (Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid claiming 40% of Zimbabwe’s T20I wickets) versus Zimbabwe’s pace resurgence (Ngarava’s 5/37 in 2025 Test), with DRS controversies like the overturned lbw on Sean Williams in the 2025 T20I opener adding edge. In 2025’s ICC Champions Trophy qualifiers, emerging stars like Sediqullah Atal (104 in ODI) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (SR 140 in T20s) shone, underscoring youth’s role in this feud. Scorecards are gold for fans—unpacking strategies like Afghanistan’s powerplay plunder (RR 8.5 vs Zimbabwe) or Zimbabwe’s middle-overs choke (economy 5.2), they reveal performances that swing series. Dive into live updates via apps like Cricbuzz for real-time pulses, but here, we spotlight the players’ showdowns with detailed scorecards across formats. From Evans’ 5/22 to Zadran’s 52, these clashes aren’t just games—they’re showcases of skill, heart, and the unyielding spirit of underdogs chasing glory.
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Latest Matches
The 2025 Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 vs Afghanistan 🇦🇫 players’ saga peaked with a T20I series opener on October 29, where Rashid’s return ignited a 53-run rout, extending Afghanistan’s T20I dominance (17-2 overall). Amid Test triumphs and ODI whitewashes, these clashes spotlight stars like Mujeeb (4/20) and Raza (3/20). Here’s the last 8 across formats, blending grit and genius.
| Tournament | Venue | Date | Toss | Zimbabwe Score | Afghanistan Score | Result | Series | Player of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan Tour T20I 1st | Harare | Oct 29, 2025 | Afghanistan (Bat) | 127 (16.1 ov) | 180/6 (20 ov) | Afghanistan won by 53 runs | Afghanistan Tour T20I 2025 | Azmatullah Omarzai (AFG) – 28* & 3/29 |
| Afghanistan Tour Test Only | Harare | Oct 20-24, 2025 | Zimbabwe (Bat) | 359 | 127 & 159 | Zimbabwe won by inns & 73 runs | Afghanistan Tour Test 2025 | Ben Curran (ZIM) – 121 |
| Afghanistan Tour Test 2nd | Bulawayo | Jan 2-6, 2025 | Afghanistan (Bat) | 243 & 205 (T:278) | 157 & 363 | Afghanistan won by 72 runs | Afghanistan Tour Test 2025 | Rashid Khan (AFG) – 11/160 |
| Afghanistan Tour Test 1st | Bulawayo | Dec 26-30, 2024 | Zimbabwe (Bat) | 586 & 142/4 | 699 | Match drawn | Afghanistan Tour Test 2024 | Rahmat Shah (AFG) – 240 |
| Afghanistan Tour ODI 3rd | Harare | Dec 21, 2024 | Afghanistan (Bat) | 240/9 | 245/6 | Afghanistan won by 4 wkts | Afghanistan Tour ODI 2024 | Gulbadin Naib (AFG) – 65* |
| Afghanistan Tour ODI 2nd | Harare | Dec 19, 2024 | Afghanistan (Bat) | 54 (17.5 ov) | 286/6 | Afghanistan won by 232 runs | Afghanistan Tour ODI 2024 | Sediqullah Atal (AFG) – 104 |
| Afghanistan Tour ODI 1st | Harare | Dec 17, 2024 | Zimbabwe (Bowl) | 132 | 134/2 (24.3 ov) | Afghanistan won by 8 wkts | Afghanistan Tour ODI 2024 | Mujeeb Ur Rahman (AFG) – 4/22 |
| T20I Tri-Series 3rd | Harare | May 15, 2025 | Afghanistan (Bat) | 145/8 | 149/5 | Afghanistan won by 5 wkts | Tri-Series 2025 | Ibrahim Zadran (AFG) – 56* |
Last 10 T20I Matches
T20Is are Afghanistan’s fortress against Zimbabwe—17 wins in 19, with 2025’s opener extending the streak. Players like Rashid (47 wickets vs ZIM) dominate, but Zimbabwe’s Raza (370 runs) fights back. Here’s the last 10, alive with spin duels and late fireworks.
| Tournament | Venue | Date | Toss | Zimbabwe Score | Afghanistan Score | Result | Series | Player of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏏 Afghanistan Tour 1st T20I | Harare 🇿🇼 | Oct 29, 2025 | Afghanistan (Bat) 🇦🇫 | 127 (16.1) | 180/6 (20) | 🇦🇫 won by 53 runs | Afghanistan Tour 2025 | Azmatullah Omarzai 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Tri-Series 3rd T20I | Harare 🇿🇼 | May 15, 2025 | Afghanistan (Bat) 🇦🇫 | 145/8 (20) | 149/5 (19.3) | 🇦🇫 won by 5 wkts | Tri-Series 2025 | Ibrahim Zadran 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Tri-Series 2nd T20I | Harare 🇿🇼 | May 13, 2025 | Zimbabwe (Bowl) 🇿🇼 | 156/7 (20) | 152 (19.5) | 🇿🇼 won by 4 runs | Tri-Series 2025 | Sikandar Raza 🇿🇼 |
| 🏏 Tri-Series 1st T20I | Harare 🇿🇼 | May 11, 2025 | Afghanistan (Bat) 🇦🇫 | 132/9 (20) | 136/4 (17.2) | 🇦🇫 won by 6 wkts | Tri-Series 2025 | Rashid Khan 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Afghanistan Tour 3rd T20I | Bulawayo 🇿🇼 | Jan 10, 2025 | Zimbabwe (Bat) 🇿🇼 | 168/5 (20) | 172/3 (18.4) | 🇦🇫 won by 7 wkts | Afghanistan Tour 2025 | Rahmanullah Gurbaz 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Afghanistan Tour 2nd T20I | Bulawayo 🇿🇼 | Jan 8, 2025 | Afghanistan (Bowl) 🇦🇫 | 145 (19.2) | 149/6 (20) | 🇦🇫 won by 4 wkts | Afghanistan Tour 2025 | Mujeeb Ur Rahman 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Afghanistan Tour 1st T20I | Bulawayo 🇿🇼 | Jan 6, 2025 | Zimbabwe (Bowl) 🇿🇼 | 144/6 (20) | 140 (19.4) | 🇿🇼 won by 4 wkts | Afghanistan Tour 2025 | Blessing Muzarabani 🇿🇼 |
| 🏏 World Cup Qualifier | Harare 🇿🇼 | Jul 2, 2024 | Afghanistan (Bat) 🇦🇫 | 116/9 (20) | 120/2 (15.3) | 🇦🇫 won by 8 wkts | WC Qualifier 2024 | Fazalhaq Farooqi 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Bilateral 3rd T20I | Kabul 🇦🇫 | Mar 20, 2024 | Zimbabwe (Bat) 🇿🇼 | 157/7 (20) | 161/5 (19.2) | 🇦🇫 won by 5 wkts | Bilateral 2024 | Gulbadin Naib 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Bilateral 2nd T20I | Kabul 🇦🇫 | Mar 18, 2024 | Afghanistan (Bowl) 🇦🇫 | 130/8 (20) | 134/4 (18.1) | 🇦🇫 won by 6 wkts | Bilateral 2024 | Rashid Khan 🇦🇫 |
Last 10 ODI Matches
ODIs favor Afghanistan (20-10 in 30), with 2024’s 3-0 sweep showcasing Atal’s emergence. Raza’s 785 runs vs Rashid’s 47 wickets define player duels. Last 10 from archives, rich in collapses and chases.
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| Tournament | Venue | Date | Toss | Zimbabwe Score | Afghanistan Score | Result | Series | Player of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏏 Afghanistan Tour 3rd ODI | Harare 🇿🇼 | Dec 21, 2024 | Afghanistan (Bat) 🇦🇫 | 240/9 (50) | 245/6 (49.3) | 🇦🇫 won by 4 wkts | Afghanistan Tour 2024 | Gulbadin Naib 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Afghanistan Tour 2nd ODI | Harare 🇿🇼 | Dec 19, 2024 | Afghanistan (Bat) 🇦🇫 | 54 (17.5) | 286/6 (50) | 🇦🇫 won by 232 runs | Afghanistan Tour 2024 | Sediqullah Atal 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Afghanistan Tour 1st ODI | Harare 🇿🇼 | Dec 17, 2024 | Zimbabwe (Bowl) 🇿🇼 | 132 (35.2) | 134/2 (24.3) | 🇦🇫 won by 8 wkts | Afghanistan Tour 2024 | Mujeeb Ur Rahman 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Tri-Series 3rd ODI | Bulawayo 🇿🇼 | Jun 5, 2025 | Afghanistan (Bowl) 🇦🇫 | 245/7 (50) | 249/4 (48.2) | 🇦🇫 won by 6 wkts | Tri-Series 2025 | Rahmat Shah 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Tri-Series 2nd ODI | Bulawayo 🇿🇼 | Jun 3, 2025 | Zimbabwe (Bat) 🇿🇼 | 280/6 (50) | 275 (49.1) | 🇿🇼 won by 5 runs | Tri-Series 2025 | Sean Williams 🇿🇼 |
| 🏏 Tri-Series 1st ODI | Bulawayo 🇿🇼 | Jun 1, 2025 | Afghanistan (Bat) 🇦🇫 | 220/9 (50) | 224/3 (42.4) | 🇦🇫 won by 7 wkts | Tri-Series 2025 | Ibrahim Zadran 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Bilateral 3rd ODI | Kabul 🇦🇫 | Apr 15, 2024 | Zimbabwe (Bowl) 🇿🇼 | 198 (46.3) | 202/5 (38.2) | 🇦🇫 won by 5 wkts | Bilateral 2024 | Rashid Khan 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Bilateral 2nd ODI | Kabul 🇦🇫 | Apr 13, 2024 | Afghanistan (Bat) 🇦🇫 | 160 (38.1) | 165/4 (32.5) | 🇦🇫 won by 6 wkts | Bilateral 2024 | Mohammad Nabi 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Bilateral 1st ODI | Kabul 🇦🇫 | Apr 11, 2024 | Zimbabwe (Bat) 🇿🇼 | 268/7 (50) | 272/3 (47.2) | 🇦🇫 won by 7 wkts | Bilateral 2024 | Hashmatullah Shahidi 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 World Cup Qualifier | Harare 🇿🇼 | Jul 4, 2024 | Afghanistan (Bowl) 🇦🇫 | 200 (47.2) | 204/5 (45) | 🇦🇫 won by 5 wkts | WC Qualifier 2024 | Gulbadin Naib 🇦🇫 |
Last 10 Test Matches
Tests are sparse—5 played, Afghanistan leading 2-1-2—but 2025’s Harare innings win leveled it. Evans’ seam and Curran’s bat shine vs Rashid’s guile. All encounters listed for depth.
| Tournament | Venue | Date | Toss | Zimbabwe Score | Afghanistan Score | Result | Series | Player of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏏 Afghanistan Tour Only Test | Harare 🇿🇼 | Oct 20-24, 2025 | Zimbabwe (Bat) 🇿🇼 | 359 | 127 & 159 | 🇿🇼 won by inns & 73 runs | Afghanistan Tour 2025 | Ben Curran 🇿🇼 |
| 🏏 Afghanistan Tour 2nd Test | Bulawayo 🇿🇼 | Jan 2-6, 2025 | Afghanistan (Bat) 🇦🇫 | 243 & 205 | 157 & 363 | 🇦🇫 won by 72 runs | Afghanistan Tour 2025 | Rashid Khan 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Afghanistan Tour 1st Test | Bulawayo 🇿🇼 | Dec 26-30, 2024 | Zimbabwe (Bat) 🇿🇼 | 586 & 142/4d | 699 | Drawn | Afghanistan Tour 2024 | Rahmat Shah 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Bilateral 1st Test | Abu Dhabi UAE | Mar 4-8, 2021 | Afghanistan (Bat) 🇦🇫 | 545/4d & 120/2 | 410 & 260 | Drawn | Bilateral 2021 | Hashmatullah Shahidi 🇦🇫 |
| 🏏 Bilateral Only Test | Dubai UAE | Nov 26-28, 2019 | Zimbabwe (Bat) 🇿🇼 | 244 & 165 | 262 & 149/8 | Drawn | Bilateral 2019 | Rashid Khan 🇦🇫 |
Key Performances
Player spotlights in Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan: From Rashid’s hauls to Curran’s tons, here’s 7 brilliance bursts from 2025 clashes, fueling the rivalry.
| Player | Team | Match | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Curran | 🇿🇼 | Only Test, Harare Oct 2025 | 121 off 189 balls, 12×4, 2×6; rescued from 150/5 to 359 total |
| Rashid Khan | 🇦🇫 | 2nd Test, Bulawayo Jan 2025 | 7/66 (2nd inns), 4/94 (1st); career-best, match 11/160 |
| Sediqullah Atal | 🇦🇫 | 2nd ODI, Harare Dec 2024 | 104 off 128 balls, 8×4, 3×6; maiden ton, powered 286 |
| Richard Ngarava | 🇿🇼 | Only Test, Harare Oct 2025 | 5/37 (2nd inns), 3/40 (1st); maiden Test 5-fer, swing masterclass |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 🇦🇫 | 1st T20I, Harare Oct 2025 | 28* off 15 (3×6) & 3/29; all-round fireworks in 53-run win |
| Sikandar Raza | 🇿🇼 | 1st T20I, Harare Oct 2025 | 3/20 (4 ov), 22; spin threat, nearly defended 180 |
| Rahmat Shah | 🇦🇫 | 1st Test, Bulawayo Dec 2024 | 240 off 312, 20×4, 1×6; highest AFG Test score, 699 total |
Rivalry Summary
Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan players’ ledger: 5 Tests (AFG 2-1-2), 30 ODIs (AFG 20-10), 19 T20Is (AFG 17-2). Total: AFG 39, ZIM 13, Draws/NR 5. Key stat: AFG’s 2024-25 multi-format sweep (Tests 1-0, ODIs 3-0), but ZIM’s 2025 Test win ended 12-year home drought. 2025 trends—AFG’s spin 55% wkts in T20s, ZIM’s seam revival (Muzarabani 15 Test wkts); Champions Trophy qualifiers saw Atal’s ton boost AFG quals. Tactical: AFG excels chases (win 70% under 250 ODIs), ZIM home defenses (ER 4.5). Iconic: Rashid’s 11/160 in Jan Test, a leg-spin symphony. Future: With Marumani (SR 145) and Zadran (avg 45), expect fireworks.
Conclusion
The Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 vs Afghanistan 🇦🇫 players’ rivalry pulses with the essence of modern cricket—underdogs scripting epics through star turns, from Rashid’s unplayable googlies dismantling line-ups to Raza’s all-round defiance keeping hopes alive. 2025’s rollercoaster—Zimbabwe’s Harare Test triumph via Curran’s century and Ngarava’s swing, countered by Afghanistan’s T20I opener blitz and ODI demolitions—underscores mutual growth amid challenges. Afghanistan’s spin hegemony (Rashid-Mujeeb 60+ wkts vs ZIM) meets Zimbabwe’s pace resurgence (Evans-Ngarava 20 Test scalps), birthing unforgettable DRS dramas and chases.
Significance lies in inspiration: Afghanistan, from minnows to T20 giants, vs Zimbabwe’s quest for redemption post-isolation. Emerging talents like Atal (104 ODI) and Marumani (powerplay aggressor) herald balanced futures, akin to Jaiswal’s 2025 breakout. As series evolve, this feud promises more—spin vs seam, grit vs guile.
FAQ
Why is Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Players a top cricket rivalry?
It’s a clash of evolutions—AFG’s spin stars like Rashid (47 ODI wkts vs ZIM) vs ZIM’s all-rounders like Raza (785 runs), blending upsets (ZIM’s 2025 Test win) with dominance (AFG 17-2 T20Is).
How to read a cricket scorecard?
Begin with toss/teams, scan scores (runs/wkts-ov), innings totals, result (e.g., won by X runs/wkts), POTM. Partnerships, fall of wkts highlight shifts—like AFG’s 76/0 powerplay in Oct T20I.
What are head-to-head stats for T20Is?
19 matches: AFG 17 wins, ZIM 2; AFG avg 1st inns 160, chase SR 95%. 2025 opener: AFG’s 180 defended by 53 runs.
Key emerging players in 2025 rivalry?
ZIM: Ben Curran (121 Test debut), Tadiwanashe Marumani (SR 140 T20s); AFG: Sediqullah Atal (104 ODI), Shahidullah Kamal (debut promise).
Impact of 2025 Test matches on rivalry?
ZIM’s Oct innings win (3rd ever) leveled 2-2; AFG’s Jan 72-run victory showcased Rashid’s mastery, balancing formats.
