Photo via The Times of India

Noor Ahmad's five-for crushes Zimbabwe as Afghanistan complete clean sweep

Afghanistan wrapped up a commanding 3-0 T20I series sweep over Zimbabwe in Sharjah on Sunday, securing their third straight victory with a dominant seven-wicket win. Noor Ahmad delivered a career-defining performance, claiming his first five-wicket haul in T20Is with figures of 5/13 off just 3.3 overs, dismantling Zimbabwe’s batting lineup for a paltry total of 79 runs in under 15 overs.

The Afghan captain, Ibrahim Zadran, took a bold gamble by electing to bowl first, and the strategy paid off handsomely as Noor’s spell reduced Zimbabwe to a chase of 80 runs—a target Afghanistan reached comfortably in 8.1 overs, with seven wickets in hand. The win marked Afghanistan’s second-largest T20I victory in terms of balls remaining, underscoring their relentless dominance in the series.

Earlier in the campaign, Afghanistan had already stamped their authority with a record-breaking 116 from Azmatullah Omarzai in the second match, while Rashid Khan’s all-round brilliance sealed the series opener with a 37-run triumph. With the T20I series concluded, both teams now turn their focus to the upcoming two-match Test series, set to begin on November 5, as Afghanistan look to build momentum ahead of the longer format challenge.

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