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ABU DHABI: Najibullah Zadran hit a career best 72 as Afghanistan completed a 3-0 clean sweep over Zimbabwe with another dominant 47-run win in the third and final Twenty20 International in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
The left-hander hit five sixes and as many boundaries in his 35-ball knock which built the foundation of another impressive Afghan total of 183 for seven in 20 overs at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Zimbabwe struggled in reply as they slipped to 56 for five in the 11th over.
Sikandar Raza, 41 not out, and Ryan Burl, 39 not out, combined for an unbroken sixth wicket partnership of 80 but never came closing to matching threatening the Afghan total as they ended on 136-5 in 20 overs.
Sikandar hit two boundaries and a six in his 29-ball knock while Burl smashed three sixes and a boundary in his 31-ball innings.
All-rounder Karim Janat was the pick of Afghanistan bowlers with 2-34.
Earlier, Najibullah and Asghar added 59 for the fifth wicket to lift Afghanistan’s total who batted after winning a third toss in succession.
Najibullah improved on his previous best of 69 not out made against the same opposition at Dhaka in 2019.
Afghanistan won the first match by 48 runs and second by 45 runs, also at the same venue.
The victory makes Asghar the most successful captain in all T20 Internationals with 42 wins in 52 matches, passing India’s M.S. Dhoni who won 41 out of 72.
Scoreboard
AFGHANISTAN:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz c Mutumbami b Ngarava 18
Usman Ghani c Burl b Sikandar 39
Karim Janat b Masakadza 21
Najibullah Zadran not out 72
Mohammad Nabi c Musakanda b Ngarava 2
Asghar Afghan c Masakadza b Faraz 24
Rashid Khan c Mutumbami b Muzarabani 0
Sharafuddin Ashraf c Masakadza b Muzarabani 0
Hasmatullah Shahidi not out 0
EXTRAS (LB-3, W-4) 7
TOTAL (for seven wkts, 20 overs) 183
FALL OF WKTS: 1-42, 2-75, 3-83, 4-96, 5-155, 6-167, 7-167.
DID NOT BAT: Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
BOWLING: Masakadza 4-0-32-1 (2w); Ngarava 4-0-35-2 (1w); Faraz Akram 4-0-46-1 (1w); Muzarabani 4-0-41-2; Sikandar Raza 2-0-14-1; Burl 2-0-12-0.
ZIMBABWE:
T.S. Kamunhukamwe b Fazalhaq 1
T.K. Musakanda c Nabi b Naveen 30
S.C. Williams b Nabi 14
M. Shumba c Rahmanullah b Karim 8
Sikandar Raza not out 41
R. Mutumbami c Rahmanullah b Karim 0
R.P. Burl not out 39
EXTRAS (LB-1, W-2) 3
TOTAL (for five wkts, 20 overs) 136
FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-39, 3-52, 4-56, 5-56.
DID NOT BAT: W.P. Masakadza, Faraz Akram, R. Ngarava,, B. Muzarabani.
BOWLING: Fazalhaq Farooqi 4-0-27-1; Mohammad Nabi 4-0-29-1; Naveen-ul-Haq 3-0-17-1 (1w); Rashid Khan 3-0-18-0 (1w); Karim Janat 4-0-34-2; Sharafuddin Ashraf 2-0-10-0.
RESULT: Afghanistan won by 47 runs to win three-match series 3-0.
UMPIRES: Izatullah Safi (Afghanistan) and Aleem Dar (Pakistan).
TV UMPIRE: Ahmed Shah Pakteen (Afghanistan).
MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Najibullah Zadran.
MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Karim Janat.