Afghanistan level T20I series against Zimbabwe with 50-run victory
What's the story
Afghanistan leveled the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe at 1-1, with a comprehensive 50-run victory.
The match took place at Harare Sports Club, Harare.
Darwish Rasooli was named Player of the Match for his maiden T20I fifty. He scored 58 from 42 balls.
Afghanistan managed 153/6 in 20 overs. Zimbabwe ended up with 103/10 in 17.4 overs.
Here's more.
Batting performance
Rasooli's maiden 50 guides Afghanistan to 153/6
Afghanistan's batting line-up was tested early as Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, and Zubaid Akbari fell cheaply.
However, Rasooli steadied the ship with a responsible 58 off 42 balls. He hit six fours and a six.
He found support in Azmatullah Omarzai who scored a brisk 28 and Gulbadin Naib who contributed a quickfire 26*.
This collective effort helped Afghanistan post a competitive 153/6.
For Zimbabwe, Trevor Gwandu claimed 2/29 from his 4 overs. Ryan Burl bowled three overs (2/16).
Bowling prowess
Zimbabwe's chase falters against Afghanistan's bowling attack
Chasing Afghanistan's total, Zimbabwe's chase stumbled as Naveen-ul-Haq sent Tadiwanashe Marumani back early in the innings.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan further broke Zimbabwe's batting lineup with their brilliant bowling.
Brian Bennett scored 27, while Sikandar Raza contributed 35 runs for Zimbabwe before his dismissal by Naveen-ul-Haq tilted the game in Afghanistan's favor.
Bowlers
Key bowling stats of Rashid, Mujeeb and Naveen
Rashid led the bowling attack with three wickets, while Naveen and Mujeeb took three and two wickets respectively.
In 95 matches, he has raced to 157 scalps at 13.98. 155 of his wickets have come for Afghanistan at just 13.85.
Overall, Rashid owns a staggering 618 T20 scalps.
Mujeeb now owns 61 scalps at 18.37. He claimed 2/30 from his 4 overs.
Pacer Naveen managed 3/19 from his four overs. He owns 65 T20I wickets at 18.89.
Information
Raza gets to 250 T20 sixes
Playing his 101st T20I (96 innings), Raza has raced to 2,341 runs at 26.30. Raza, who is Zimbabwe's top scorer in T20Is, became the first to slam 175-plus fours for the nation (176). Overall, he owns 5,420 runs in T20 cricket. Raza has completed 250 sixes in the format with his solitary maximum.