For UAE cricket fans, the next five weeks are a gift. Afghanistan, who treat the Emirates as their home away from home, are hosting Zimbabwe across all three formats, with every ball bowled in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. If you live here, this is international cricket you can drive to after work.
Here’s our honest view: this isn’t the glamour fixture of the UAE cricket calendar, and that’s exactly why it’s worth your time. No sold-out madness, no ticket scrambles, just two teams with something real to prove, a home crowd that sings for 50 overs, and some of the best spin bowling you’ll see live anywhere. If you’ve only ever watched cricket in the UAE during an Asia Cup or a franchise league, this is a different, more intimate experience.
The big picture
The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed an extensive schedule in the UAE for October and November 2026, featuring a one-off Test against Bangladesh, an ODI tri-nation series involving all three teams, and a three-match T20I series followed by a two-match Test series against Zimbabwe. Afghanistan cannot host internationals at home, so the UAE gives them a neutral venue for their home commitments, with the three teams set for nearly six weeks of cricket across Tests, ODIs and T20Is.
That means Afghanistan and Zimbabwe meet six times in the UAE: once in the ODI tri-series (possibly twice if both reach the final), three T20Is and two Tests.
Full Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe schedule (UAE time)
| Date | Match | Venue | Start (UAE) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 19 Oct | ODI tri-series: Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe | Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi | 4:00 pm (expected) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Tri-series Final (top two sides) | TBC – see note | TBC |
| Tue 27 Oct | 1st T20I | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | 6:30 pm |
| Thu 29 Oct | 2nd T20I | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | 6:30 pm |
| Sun 1 Nov | 3rd T20I | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | 6:30 pm |
| 5–9 Nov | 1st Test | Sharjah | TBC |
| 13–17 Nov | 2nd Test | Sharjah | TBC |
The tri-series opens with Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe on October 17 at Zayed Cricket Stadium, followed by Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe at the same ground on October 19. The T20Is are evening games: Wisden lists each one at Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium with an 18:30 (UTC+04:00) start. The two Tests run from November 5 to 9 and November 13 to 17, and all five matches against Zimbabwe in that bilateral leg will be played at the Sharjah stadium.
Venue note for the final: Sources disagree here. One fixture list places the October 21 Afghanistan vs Bangladesh game and the October 23 final at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, while the ICC’s schedule lists both matches in Abu Dhabi. Check the ACB’s official channels before you book transport.
Watching from India? UAE is 1 hour 30 minutes behind IST, so the Sharjah T20Is start at 8:00 pm IST.
How the tri-series works
Each of the three teams plays the other once in a round-robin, before the final on 23 October. With only two league games each, Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe on 19 October is close to a knockout. A loss for either side means they need a big result in their other match to stay alive. For both teams, the series doubles as World Cup prep: ACB CEO Naseeb Khan described it as a key part of Afghanistan’s build-up to the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Head-to-head: Afghanistan dominate white-ball, Zimbabwe own a famous Test win
In T20Is, the record is lopsided. Wisden’s head-to-head shows Afghanistan with 19 wins against Zimbabwe’s 2, and their last meeting was a clean sweep: Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 9 runs in Harare to complete a 3-0 T20I series win. In that game, Zimbabwe needed 19 off the final over before Abdullah Ahmadzai took two wickets to close it out, and Ibrahim Zadran was Player of the Series with 169 runs at an average of 84.5 and three fifties.
Afghanistan were also on top in the last ODI series. They won the 2024 ODI series in Harare 2-0, with one match abandoned due to weather.
But don’t write Zimbabwe off in the Tests. On the same 2025 tour, Zimbabwe won the one-off Test in Harare by an innings and 73 runs, with Ben Curran named Player of the Match. That result makes the two Sharjah Tests the most genuinely open contests of the whole tour.
Our take: The 19-2 T20I record looks like a mismatch, but don’t let it fool you. Zimbabwe’s two most dangerous players, Raza and Muzarabani, are at their best when nobody expects anything from them. Afghanistan also tend to switch off against teams they’re “supposed” to beat. We wouldn’t bet the house on a 3-0 sweep in Sharjah.
Squads and team news
Afghanistan
Afghanistan have split captaincy across formats. Rahmat Shah will lead the ODI and Test sides, while Ibrahim Zadran takes charge of the T20I team against Zimbabwe. Rashid Khan is in both white-ball squads but has been rested from Test cricket, along with Zadran.
ODI squad: Rahmat Shah (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyalai Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Yamin Ahmadzai
T20I squad: Ibrahim Zadran (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Noor Rahman, Sediqullah Atal, Mohammad Akram, Shahidullah Kamal, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Abdullah Tarakhail, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Farid Ahmad Malik
New faces to watch: uncapped all-rounder Abdullah Tarakhil earns a maiden T20I call-up, and Mohammad Akram, who debuted at the 2026 Asian Games, is also included.
Zimbabwe
Sikandar Raza leads in both white-ball formats after regular ODI captain Richard Ngarava was ruled out with a back injury. Graeme Cremer has been dropped from the ODI squad.
ODI squad: Sikandar Raza (captain), Ben Curran, Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans, Brendan Taylor, Brian Bennett, Craig Ervine, Ernest Masuku, Newman Nyamhuri, Ryan Burl, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Vincent Masekesa, Wellington Masakadza, Wessly Madhevere.
T20I squad: Sikandar Raza (captain), Ben Curran, Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans, Brian Bennett, Innocent Kaia, Kundai Matigimu, Newman Nyamhuri, Ryan Burl, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Vincent Masekesa, Wellington Masakadza, Wessly Madhevere.
Two things to know: Kundai Matigimu will replace Brad Evans for the third T20I, and Tsiga and Masekesa are both in line for ODI debuts. Zimbabwe’s Test squad will be named in the days before the series.
Our take: Splitting the captaincy three ways is a bold call from Afghanistan, and we think it’s the right one. Rahmat Shah is a calm, old-school leader suited to the longer formats, while Ibrahim Zadran’s aggression fits T20 cricket. The risk is Rashid Khan playing under a younger captain. If the dressing room is aligned, Afghanistan are stronger for it; if not, the T20Is are where cracks would show.
For Zimbabwe, losing Ngarava hurts more than people realise. His left-arm angle was their best new-ball option against Afghanistan’s right-handed top order. Keep an eye on whether the uncapped Tsiga and Masekesa get a real run or are just there to make up numbers.
Key players to watch
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG): Zimbabwe’s favourite tormentor. Against them in T20Is he has 425 runs at a strike rate of 142.14, with a top score of 92.
- Rashid Khan (AFG): 35 T20I wickets against Zimbabwe at an average of 13.28, with best figures of 4-27. On slow UAE surfaces, he is the single biggest threat.
- Ibrahim Zadran (AFG): New T20I captain, coming off a Player of the Series run against this same opposition.
- Sikandar Raza (ZIM): Captain, finisher, part-time spinner, and a cricketer who has spent years playing franchise cricket in conditions like these.
- Brian Bennett (ZIM): Zimbabwe’s leading T20I run-scorer against Afghanistan, with 194 runs and a top score of 49.
- Ben Curran (ZIM): Hero of the 2025 Harare Test. Watch him in the Sharjah Tests.
- Blessing Muzarabani (ZIM): Leads the bowling attack, and his height and bounce could be a weapon in the early overs before the ball softens.
Pitch and conditions: what UAE crowds can expect
Abu Dhabi: The Zayed Cricket Stadium surface is typically slow and helps spinners as matches wear on. In the Afghanistan vs Bangladesh Test that just finished there, Bangladesh’s captain chose to bat first because the pitch was dry and the weather hot, expecting batting to get harder later. Expect a similar ODI surface on 19 October, which favours Afghanistan’s spin-heavy attack.
Sharjah: One of the most historic grounds in world cricket, Sharjah has hosted more ODIs than any other venue. It is a smaller ground with quick outfields, so boundaries come fast, but the surface tends to slow up and grip. The 6:30 pm starts mean dew can play a role in the second innings, which often pushes captains to bowl first.
Weather: Late October and early November evenings in the UAE are warm but far more comfortable than summer. Day temperatures still reach the low-to-mid 30s°C, so the Test days in Sharjah will be hot work in the afternoon sessions.
Our take: If you’re predicting results, watch the toss in Sharjah. Under lights, we’d bowl first almost every time. If Afghanistan are made to bat first on a sticky surface, the gap between the teams narrows a lot. In Abu Dhabi, it’s the opposite: runs on the board and three Afghan spinners on a tiring pitch is a nightmare chase.
Matchday tips for UAE fans
- Tickets:
- Where to watch on TV/streaming in UAE:
- Atmosphere: Afghanistan matches in the UAE draw large, loud support from the Afghan community, so expect a real home crowd for the Atalan, especially at Sharjah.
- Insider tips for UAE fans (from people who go to a lot of cricket here)
- If you can only go to one match, make it the 19 October ODI in Abu Dhabi. It’s a Sunday, it’s virtually a knockout for the tri-series, and you get a full day of cricket for one ticket.
- For the best atmosphere, pick a Sharjah T20I. The ground is compact, the stands are close to the field, and Afghan fans make it feel like a home game in Kabul. The 1 November decider (also a Sunday) could be the loudest night of the tour.
- Get there before the toss, not before the first ball. The toss tells you a lot about how the game will go, and the pre-match buzz outside Sharjah is half the fun.
- Coming from Dubai on a weeknight? Don’t underestimate the traffic. The 27 and 29 October games start right in Dubai–Sharjah rush hour. Leave at least an hour earlier than Google Maps suggests, or you’ll miss the powerplay.
- Dress for evening heat, not winter. Late October nights are still warm. Light clothes, a cap for the early overs and water are smarter than a jacket.
- Check the bag policy before you leave home. Stadium rules on bags, food, flags and power banks vary by venue and event, and the queue to dump banned items is no fun.
- Don’t sleep on the Tests. Most people skip them, which is exactly the point. A quiet weekday session in Sharjah lets you watch Test players up close, and you’ll hear the field settings being called. It’s the best cricket education money can buy.
- Pick your seat for shade. For the Abu Dhabi ODI’s afternoon start, sitting on the side of the ground that falls into shadow first makes a huge difference.
Our prediction
On form and record, Afghanistan are clear favourites in the white-ball games, especially in Sharjah where their spinners thrive. Zimbabwe’s best chance of an upset is the 19 October ODI, where one big innings from Raza, Ervine or Taylor could shake up the tri-series table. The Tests are where it gets interesting: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan in the longest format last year, and Afghanistan will be without Rashid in whites.
Tri-series ODI (19 Oct): Afghanistan, but closer than the experts think. We see Zimbabwe getting to 230-250 and Afghanistan chasing it with a few nervy moments.
T20I series: Afghanistan 2-1. A 3-0 sweep is the logical call, but we think Zimbabwe nick one, probably the game where Afghanistan bat first and the dew sets in.
Test series: Genuinely 50-50, and this is where we’ll be paying the most attention. Without Rashid and Zadran, Afghanistan’s Test side is a very different team, and Zimbabwe already have the scars from Harare to prove they can win. Our early lean: shared 1-1.
Agree or disagree? Tell us in the comments, and if you’re going to any of the games, let us know which one.
FAQs
Where are Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe matches being played?
Abu Dhabi (Zayed Cricket Stadium) for the 19 October ODI, and Sharjah Cricket Stadium for the T20Is and Tests.
What time do the T20Is start in UAE?
6:30 pm UAE time (8:00 pm IST).
Who are the captains?
Afghanistan: Rahmat Shah (ODI/Test), Ibrahim Zadran (T20I). Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (ODI/T20I); Test captain to be confirmed.
Is Rashid Khan playing?
Yes in the ODIs and T20Is, but not in the Tests.
