Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe - 2nd T20I - Match Preview

After a comprehensive victory in the 1st T20I, Afghanistan look to seal the T20I series as they take on Zimbabwe in the second game of the three match T20I series. Zimbabwe were exceptional in the Test series but in shorter formats, especially when they are not playing a full strength squad, they were bound to struggle. They were outplayed by Afghanistan in the previous game and will need an exceptional performance to stay alive in the series. 

The surface in Sheikh Zayed Stadium is on the slower side and will aid the spinners. With Rashid Khan, Mohammed Nabi and Amir Hamza at their disposal, Afghanistan bowling looks too hot to handle. The pacers too were right on the money so there’ll be no breathers for Zimbabwe batsmen. The visitors are too dependent on Sikander Raza and Sean Williams and if they fail to perform, it’ll be very difficult for Zimbabwe to compete, let alone win.

Talking about Afghanistan, they are a team brimming with confidence. Irrespective of what transpired in the test series, they’ve been a force in T20Is. They have not lost a series since 2017 and have beaten teams like Ireland, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh. Rahman Ullah Gurbaz was on fire in the 1st game while Asghar Afghan too batted well for his 55. We all know what Mohammed Nabi can do on his day. Overall, Afghanistan have all their bases covered and will be very confident going in to the match. Zimbabwe will need a mammoth effort from Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza to pull off an upset.