Omarzai's 50-Ball 116 Rescues Afghanistan From 5/4 as They Beat Zimbabwe by 19 Runs to Seal T20I Series

Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 19 runs in the second T20I at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday, October 29. The win gave them an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, with a game to spare. Azmatullah Omarzai scored a maiden T20I century, 116 off 50 balls, after Afghanistan had slumped to 5 for 4.

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and chose to field, and his bowlers made a flying start. Afghanistan lost four wickets for five runs in the first 3.2 overs. They were 19 for 4 at the end of the powerplay and 45 for 5 at the halfway stage. Zimbabwe looked to be well on top.

Then Omarzai took charge. He shared a 142-run stand for the sixth wicket with Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, who hit 52 off 27 balls. Omarzai kept finding the boundary and reached his hundred in style. He was finally out, caught at long-off, after hitting Raza for two more sixes. He walked off to a standing ovation from the dugout. Raza congratulated him. Rashid Khan then hit an unbeaten 25 off just six balls to finish the innings. Afghanistan ended on 221 for 7, which is their third-highest T20I total. Brad Evans took 2 for 40 and Kundai Matigimu took 2 for 48 for Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe needed 222 and Raza gave them a big chance. He scored an unbeaten 106 off 56 balls, with 5 fours and 9 sixes. It was his second T20I century. At 40 years old, he became the oldest man to score a T20I hundred. His last-ball six cleared the stadium roof. Debutant Tafadzwa Tsiga added 31 off 23 balls, and the pair shared an unbroken stand of 120.

The target was too far away, though. Abdollah Ahmadzai took 2 for 34, and Omarzai also took a wicket, finishing with 1 for 17. Zimbabwe ended on 202 for 5. There was one more big moment in the chase. Rashid Khan trapped opener Tadiwanashe Marumani lbw to take his 200th T20I wicket, the first men's bowler to reach that mark.

After the match, Raza said he was disappointed by the complacency shown by some of his team-mates. He said he would address it in the dressing room. For Afghanistan, the win capped a big night for the team. Zimbabwe will try to avoid a clean sweep in the final game of the series.