Zimbabwe Opts to Bat Against Afghanistan in UAE ODI Tri-Series Final

SHARJAH: Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat first against Afghanistan in the final of the 2026 UAE ODI Tri-Series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

In a crucial AFG vs ZIM toss that could dictate the tempo of the championship clash, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza had no hesitation in opting to set a target on what appears to be a dry, spin-friendly Sharjah surface.

Addressing at the flip of the coin, Raza emphasized the importance of putting runs on the board in a high-pressure finale. Afghanistan's skipper, Rahmat Shah, revealed he was not overly disappointed with losing the toss, stating that his side was comfortable chasing. 

The Afghans enter the final as distinct favorites, riding a wave of momentum after securing dominant victories in the round-robin stage, including a 158-run win over Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi.

The spotlight will firmly be on Afghanistan’s spin duo of Rashid Khan and AM Ghazanfar, both of whom have been in sensational form throughout the tournament. Zimbabwe’s openers face a daunting task to survive the new ball and establish a platform, while the Afghan camp relies on their deep batting line-up, spearheaded by Rahmanullah Gurbaz and the in-form Sediqullah Atal, to hunt down whatever total is set. 

With silverware on the line, the stage is perfectly set in Sharjah for a thrilling conclusion to the tri-series.

Afghanistan Playing XI

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah (c), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Zimbabwe Playing XI

Brian Bennett, Tadivanashe Marumani, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Brendan Taylor (wk), Sikandar Raza (c), Wessly Madhevere, Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani