Naveen-ul-Haq bowled a 13-ball over that cost Afghanistan the first T20I against Zimbabwe on Wednesday at the Harare Sports Club. Rashid Khan’s men went 0-1 down in the series after losing the opening game by four wickets. At the start of the 15th over of Zimbabwe’s run-chase, the Afghans needed 57 runs to defend with six overs left.
But Naveen’s over shifted the momentum towards Zimbabwe. He started the over with a wide, after which Brian Bennett took a single off a legitimate ball. Thereafter, Naveen bowled a no-ball and Sikandar Raza hit him for a boundary through third man.
Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan, 1st T20I: HIGHLIGHTS
Naveen tried to bowl wide Yorkers and ended up bowling four wides. He came round the wicket only for Raza to smack him for a four down the ground on the free hit. Naveen made amends by taking Raza’s wicket in the third legal ball of the over.
Naveen conceded three singles and bowled another wide to finish off the over. Naveen leaked 19 runs, reducing the target of 38 runs off 30 balls. Naveen finished with figures of 4-1-33-3.
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Zimbabwe clinched a nail-biting victory over Afghanistan in Harare, chasing a 145-run target to win off the final ball of the match. This triumph marked Zimbabwe’s first win against Afghanistan since 2019 and gave them an early 1-0 lead in the series.
The hosts found themselves in trouble at 128 for 7, still needing 17 runs from the last two overs. However, Tashinga Musekiwa proved his mettle, steering Zimbabwe through the high-pressure final moments.
With Azmatullah Omarzai tasked to defend 11 runs in the final over, the match reached a dramatic climax. Musekiwa delivered the decisive blow on the last ball, securing a thrilling victory and delighting the home crowd.
