Rashid Khan’s googly dismantles Zimbabwe as Afghanistan wins by 158 runs

Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan produced a memorable piece of bowling to dismiss Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza in the second ODI of the UAE Tri-Nation Series 2026.

His deceptive googly halted Zimbabwe’s attempted recovery as Afghanistan completed a comprehensive 158-run victory at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday, October 19.

Rashid finished with figures of 4/17 from eight overs, playing a decisive role in Zimbabwe’s dismissal for 136 while Afghanistan defended a total of 294. The win was built on a century from Sediqullah Atal and a disciplined bowling performance from Afghanistan.

Rashid Khan’s googly dismisses Sikandar Raza

The key moment came in the 36th over, when Rashid disguised a googly and drew Raza into an ill-advised drive. The Zimbabwe captain was attempting to rebuild his innings after a succession of early wickets, but the delivery turned sharply back into him and squeezed through the gap between bat and pad before clipping the off-stump.

Raza made 48 from 80 balls, including three fours and a six, before his dismissal left Zimbabwe at 124/7. His wicket effectively ended their hopes of a meaningful comeback, and Afghanistan’s spinners continued to control the remainder of the innings.

Watch the dismissal:

“There’s no one better in ODI cricket than this man.” #AFGvZIM | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam | #ThreeTeamsOneSpirit @rashidkhan_19 pic.twitter.com/NWW2k4c31M

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) October 19, 2026

Rashid’s dismissal of Raza was the highlight of an excellent bowling performance. The leg-spinner took four wickets for only 17 runs and made it exceptionally difficult for Zimbabwe to score freely during the middle overs.

Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed the early breakthroughs with figures of 2/15, while Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar and Mohammad Nabi each took a wicket as Afghanistan maintained control throughout the chase.

Zimbabwe were eventually dismissed for 136 in 38.4 overs, finishing well short of their target of 295. Brian Bennett and Ryan Burl provided some resistance, but the visitors never recovered from losing wickets during the powerplay.

Sediqullah Atal’s century powers Afghanistan to 294

Afghanistan laid the foundation for victory after winning the toss and choosing to bat first.

Sediqullah Atal led the innings with a composed 102 from 110 deliveries, including eight fours and a six. Ibrahim Zadran provided vital support with 90 from 96 balls, striking nine fours and two sixes.

Their partnership allowed Afghanistan to build momentum and put pressure on Zimbabwe’s bowlers. Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 25, while Hashmatullah Shahidi added 28 as Afghanistan reached 294 all out in 50 overs.

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