Zimbabwe suffer massive 158-run defeat against Afghanistan

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Powered by an all-around dominant performance, Afghanistan kicked off their tri-nation series in style by securing a commanding 158-run victory over Zimbabwe, handing Sikandar Raza’s side a heavy defeat.

After starting the series with a massive 99-run win against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe stumbled in their second match, blowing the race for a spot in the final wide open.

Bangladesh now has an opportunity to reach the final if they can defeat Afghanistan by a significant margin in their final match and successfully balance the required net run rate equations.

Meanwhile, a victory for Afghanistan would secure qualification for both them and Zimbabwe.

Centurion Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran laid a solid foundation for Afghanistan with a stellar 90-run knock. However, a late-innings collapse characterized by quick wickets and a slowed scoring rate prevented the team from reaching a projected massive total, though Rahmat Shah’s side still managed to post 294 runs.

On the other end, Zimbabwe staged a strong comeback in the death overs to keep the target under three hundred. However, their batters failed to mount a fight, getting bowled out for just 136 runs. Afghanistan’s 158-run victory also served as a favor to Bangladesh.