Afghanistan face Zimbabwe in the final of the UAE ODI Tri-Series on October 23, with both sides reaching the title match after Afghanistan's seven-wicket win over Bangladesh eliminated the third team from contention. The final is reported for a 5:00 pm IST start, with the venue listed as Sharjah by most schedules.
Captain Rahmat Shah's side went through the round-robin stage without a loss, following a 158-run win over Zimbabwe earlier in the tournament with the victory over Bangladesh that sealed their final berth. Rashid Khan and Ibrahim Zadran both returned to the squad after being rested following Afghanistan's one-off Test against Bangladesh, giving Shah his strongest available group for the final.
Zimbabwe, led by Sikandar Raza, booked their place with an opening 99-run win over Bangladesh built on a match-turning partnership between Craig Ervine, who made 93, and Brendan Taylor. That result proved decisive: Zimbabwe's heavier defeat to Afghanistan later in the group stage left them needing exactly the kind of statement win they produced against Bangladesh to stay ahead of them in the standings.
Having already been beaten soundly by Afghanistan once in this tournament, Zimbabwe will need a different approach against a bowling attack built around Rashid Khan, one of the format's most economical operators on UAE pitches. Afghanistan's batting depth beyond Zadran, with Rahmat Shah leading from the top of the order, gives them an edge if the chase runs deep into the closing overs.
A tri-series title would extend Afghanistan's recent run of white-ball success and add another trophy for a side that has built a reputation as a genuinely dangerous ODI team outside the traditional top tier. For Zimbabwe, reaching a final against Afghanistan on conditions that effectively amount to home advantage for their opponents is itself a marker of progress for a side rebuilding around Raza's leadership.
Rashid Khan remains the standout fantasy pick given his control through the middle overs, while Rahmat Shah's place at the top of Afghanistan's order makes him a safer source of points than the more explosive but less consistent middle order behind him. For Zimbabwe, Ervine's assured form at the top of the order, underlined by his 93 in the tournament opener, makes him the clearest value pick against an attack that has otherwise dominated this tournament.
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Squad and schedule details in this article are verified against same-day reporting and freshly re-checked sources as of October 23, 2026; the final's exact venue is reported as Sharjah by most schedules, though a smaller number of outlets list Abu Dhabi instead.
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