Zimbabwe opt to bat in Tri-Series Final as Afghanistan welcome back Farooqi

Toss Zimbabwe elected to bat first against Afghanistan

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza has won the toss and elected to bat first in the tri-series final held in Sharjah. In day-night fixtures at this venue, winning the toss is considered vital, as teams setting a target of over 250 often hold a significant statistical advantage.

Zimbabwe have implemented two tactical changes to their lineup. Left-arm seamer Newman Nyamhuri returns to the side, replacing Ernest Masuku, who claimed three wickets in their previous round-robin meeting against Afghanistan. Additionally, Tadiwanashe Marumani enters the opening slot for Ben Curran, who struggled for form in recent outings. The side continues to contend with the absence of Craig Ervine.

Afghanistan have made a single adjustment, reintegrating the rested Fazalhaq Farooqi in place of Yamin Ahmadzai.

Afghanistan enter the final as the tournament favorites after delivering dominant performances against both Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Zimbabwe secured their place in the championship match following a decisive 99-run victory over Bangladesh in their opening fixture.

This event marks the first final hosted in Sharjah in 23 years—a tournament final that incidentally mirrors the 2003 showdown between Zimbabwe and Pakistan held at the same venue.

Afghanistan: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Sediqullah Atal, 4 Rahmat Shah (capt), 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi, 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 AM Ghazanfar, 10 Bilal Sami, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi

Zimbabwe: 1 Brian Bennett, 2 Tadiwanashe Marumani, 3 Tafadzwa Tsiga, 4 Brendan Taylor (wk), 5 Sikandar Raza (capt), 6 Ryan Burl, 7 Wessley Madhevere, 8 Brad Evans, 9 Wellington Masakadza, 10 Newman Nyamhuri, 11 Blessing Muzarabani

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