Afghanistan and Zimbabwe open their T20I series on Tuesday, 27 October 2026. Afghanistan hold a dominant historical record in this fixture, but recent form for both sides has been modest. This CricStats preview weighs head-to-head results, recent form and in-form players to frame what the numbers suggest.
Head-to-Head: Afghanistan's Consistent Edge
The two sides have met 21 times in T20Is since 2015. Afghanistan have won 19 of those matches and Zimbabwe two. That is a win rate of roughly 90% for Afghanistan across the full history.
The CricStats lean looks at the last 10 decisive meetings and reaches the same split: Afghanistan 90%, Zimbabwe 10%.
All-time T20I head-to-head| Metric | Value |
|---|
| Matches played | 21 |
| Afghanistan wins | 19 |
| Zimbabwe wins | 2 |
| First meeting | 2015 |
Most Recent Meetings
Afghanistan won each of the last five encounters, all at Harare Sports Club. Three of those wins came by 50 runs or more or by seven wickets, while two were closer finishes.
Last five T20I meetings (newest first)| Date | Result | Venue |
|---|
| 2 Nov 2025 | Afghanistan won by 9 runs | Harare Sports Club |
| 31 Oct 2025 | Afghanistan won by 7 wickets (12 balls remaining) | Harare Sports Club |
| 29 Oct 2025 | Afghanistan won by 53 runs | Harare Sports Club |
| 14 Dec 2024 | Afghanistan won by 3 wickets (3 balls remaining) | Harare Sports Club |
| 13 Dec 2024 | Afghanistan won by 50 runs | Harare Sports Club |
Recent Form: Both Sides Searching for Rhythm
Neither team arrives with a strong run of results. Afghanistan have won 3 and lost 6 of their last 9 completed T20Is, a 33% win rate. Zimbabwe have won 2 and lost 8 of their last 10, a 20% win rate.
Afghanistan's latest results include three defeats to India in September 2026, a 48-run win over Japan on 24 September and a five-wicket loss to Nepal on 25 September. Zimbabwe beat Namibia twice but lost all three of their listed matches against South Africa.
Recent form snapshot| Team | Sample | Won | Lost | Win rate |
|---|
| Afghanistan | Last 9 T20Is | 3 | 6 | 33% |
| Zimbabwe | Last 10 T20Is | 2 | 8 | 20% |
Reading the Form Data
Afghanistan's form is weak in absolute terms, but it still sits 13 percentage points above Zimbabwe's. Both sets of results also include heavy defeats against stronger opposition, which should be weighed with care.
Players in Form Over the Last 12 Months
Squads for this match are not confirmed, so the names below are players who have performed well over the past year, not certain starters.
Zimbabwe: leading T20I performers, last 12 months| Player | Discipline | Output | Best |
|---|
| Brian Bennett | Batting | 620 runs in 20 inns | 97 |
| Sikandar Raza | Batting | 450 runs in 20 inns | 73 |
| Ryan Burl | Batting | 363 runs in 19 inns | 57 |
| Brad Evans | Bowling | 32 wkts in 20 matches | - |
| Blessing Muzarabani | Bowling | 26 wkts in 17 matches | - |
| Richard Ngarava | Bowling | 17 wkts in 11 matches | - |
Key Comparisons
Ibrahim Zadran has scored 549 runs in 13 innings, while Brian Bennett leads Zimbabwe with 620 runs in 20 innings. Zadran's output comes from seven fewer innings, which points to a higher rate of scoring per innings.
In the bowling data, Brad Evans has taken 32 wickets in 20 matches. Afghanistan's three leading bowlers each have 18 wickets, which suggests their wicket-taking is spread across several bowlers.
Fixture History Since 2021
Sikandar Raza leads all run-scorers in this fixture since 2021 with 225 runs in 9 innings. Rahmanullah Gurbaz has 207 runs in 8 innings for Afghanistan, and Brian Bennett has 194 runs in 6 innings.
Top performers in this fixture since 2021| Category | Player | Team | Output |
|---|
| Runs | Sikandar Raza | Zimbabwe | 225 runs in 9 inns |
| Runs | Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Afghanistan | 207 runs in 8 inns |
| Runs | Brian Bennett | Zimbabwe | 194 runs in 6 inns |
| Wickets | Mujeeb Ur Rahman | Afghanistan | 11 wkts |
| Wickets | Naveen-ul-Haq | Afghanistan | 8 wkts |
| Wickets | Ryan Burl | Zimbabwe | 8 wkts |
CricStats Prediction
The CricStats data lean combines head-to-head results with recent win rates. It favours Afghanistan at 73% against 27% for Zimbabwe.
CricStats data lean| Indicator | Afghanistan | Zimbabwe |
|---|
| Last 10 decisive meetings | 90% | 10% |
| Recent win rate | 33% | 20% |
| Overall data lean | 73% | 27% |
The numbers suggest Afghanistan are clear favourites, mainly because of their head-to-head record. This is a statistical lean and not a certainty, and Zimbabwe's batting form gives them a route into the contest.