Afghanistan crush Zimbabwe by seven wickets in Sharjah to win tri-series unbeaten, with a rare record for Rashid Khan

Afghanistan lifted the ODI trophy in the tri-series final in Sharjah, beating Zimbabwe by a commanding seven wickets. Throughout the tournament they produced outstanding performances with bat and ball, and in Friday's final they also fielded superbly.

Zimbabwe, batting first, were bowled out for 169 in 43.3 overs. Afghanistan reached the target in just 34.3 overs in reply. They dominated all three of their matches in the competition and therefore won the title unbeaten.

Ibrahim Zadran struck his second fifty of the tournament. His 82-run partnership with captain Rahmat Shah took the team close to the shore of victory.

When Hashmatullah Shahidi hit the winning boundary in the 35th over, Ibrahim Zadran was unbeaten on 70. Afghanistan thus finished the chase with measured batting and no rush.

With ball and in the field, Afghanistan kept control from the start of Zimbabwe's innings. That made their run chase far easier, because Zimbabwe never got the chance to build a big total.

Rashid Khan was Afghanistan's best bowler, taking 3 wickets for 41 runs. With that, he became only the second bowler to claim the rare record of taking at least three wickets in six consecutive ODI innings.

Before that, Afghanistan's pace trio and veteran off-spinner Mohammad Nabi removed Zimbabwe's first six wickets and made life miserable for them. After that early collapse, Zimbabwe never recovered in the match.

Left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, off-spinner Nabi and pacer Bilal Sami took two wickets each, while the world No. 1 ODI all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai took one wicket.

Such a collective performance in every department made the difference in the final. The bowlers restricted Zimbabwe to a low total, the fielders maintained the pressure, and the batters turned that pressure into victory.

This tri-series title stands as further proof of Afghanistan's steady progress in one-day cricket. Winning the trophy after dominating every match of the tournament will boost the team's confidence for the series ahead.

For Zimbabwe, after such a one-sided defeat in the final, the batting failure will have to be examined. An innings that folded for 169 in 43.3 overs is what knocked them out of the title contest.