AFG vs ZIM 1st T20I Playing 11, Dream11 Prediction, Pitch Report - Oct 27, 2026

By CricketPlaying11 Desk • Oct 24, 2026 • Match at 8:00 PM IST, Oct 27

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, 1st T20I - here is the probable playing 11, Dream11 picks, pitch report and live streaming in India in one place. This is the first of three T20Is in Sharjah, and it comes days after the two sides met in the UAE ODI tri-series final. Afghanistan won that tournament and beat Zimbabwe comfortably along the way, so the visitors start this series with a point to prove.

If you are in a rush, check the table below first. It gives you the match, date, time in IST, venue, both probable XIs, our captain and vice captain picks, and a short pitch note. Then read the rest if you want the reasons behind the picks. We write Probable / Predicted on every XI that a team has not confirmed yet. That matters for Dream11, because one late change can break a whole team.

Quick answer table

Why this game matters

The T20I series is a fresh start, but the recent history between these sides is one-sided. Afghanistan were the best team in the UAE ODI tri-series, beating both Zimbabwe and Bangladesh comfortably before the final in Sharjah. Rashid Khan took eight wickets in the tournament, Ibrahim Zadran scored 124 runs, and Sediqullah Atal hit 104 off 128 balls in one of the earlier games. Zimbabwe's best moment was a 99-run win over Bangladesh in the opening game, built on Sikandar Raza's all-round show.

For Zimbabwe, this is the last leg of a month-long stay in the UAE, and the T20 format gives them a cleaner slate - one good powerplay can change a T20 in a way it rarely does a 50-over game. For Afghanistan, it is about carrying white-ball momentum forward with proven match-winners in Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and younger batters like Sediqullah Atal pushing for bigger roles. Two Tests follow the T20Is in November, so both boards will also be watching who puts a hand up.

Head to head

In ODIs, Afghanistan lead Zimbabwe 21 wins to 10, per the CricketAddictor tri-series final preview we checked. For T20Is we could not verify a clean, agreed number before writing this page, so we are not printing one here - we talk about form and match-ups in plain words instead of guessing a record. What is clear from the last few weeks is that Afghanistan have had Zimbabwe's measure in the UAE.

Head to head helps, but it does not pick your team for you. Players change, pitches change, and a young player in form can beat an old record in one game. Use the record to see who has liked this match-up in the past, then look at current form, who is fit, and who is sure to play.

Pitch and weather

Sharjah is Sharjah: the pitch tends to slow down as the game goes on, spinners get grip in the middle overs, and the short boundaries keep batters interested even when the ball stops coming on. In day-night games here the toss matters - sides batting first have often liked setting a target, but dew in the second innings can make the ball skid on and help the chasing side. That is the call the toss-winning captain has to weigh on the night.

Expect heat, around the low to mid-30s, with clear skies and no rain. Dew is the one weather factor to watch - if it sets in, grip gets harder for spinners and batting second gets a little easier, so keep an eye on the outfield at the toss.

Playing 11 - how we picked it

Afghanistan Probable / Predicted XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran (c), Sediqullah Atal, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Akram, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Zimbabwe Probable / Predicted XI: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Wessly Madhevere, Tafadzwa Tsiga (wk), Wellington Masakadza, Brad Evans, Blessing Muzarabani, Newman Nyamhuri, Vincent Masekesa.

We built these XIs from the official T20I squads announced for this series, as listed by the Afghanistan Cricket Board via SuperSport and carried by IPL.com and CricketDaily. Afghanistan's T20I squad is led by Ibrahim Zadran and leaves out some ODI names, so the XI above is our read of their strongest T20 combination from the 15 named - Gurbaz keeps wicket, the spin trio of Rashid, Mujeeb and Noor Ahmad picks itself, and Farooqi leads the pace attack. For Zimbabwe, Sikandar Raza captains, Tafadzwa Tsiga is the keeper in the squad, and the pace slots come down to Muzarabani, Evans, Nyamhuri and the spin option of Masakadza. Brendan Taylor played the ODI final but is not in Zimbabwe's T20I squad, so he is not in our XI.

If a team rests a player, brings in an extra spinner, or swaps a fast bowler for the pitch, the XI will change at the toss. That is normal. For Dream11, wait for the toss, swap in the confirmed names, and only then lock your captain and vice captain.

Dream11 and fantasy picks

Our captain pick is Rashid Khan or Sikandar Raza. Our vice captain pick is Ibrahim Zadran or Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The thinking is plain: pick players who touch the game a lot. Rashid bowls four overs of wicket-taking spin and can hit at the death. Raza bats in the top four and bowls his full quota - the classic fantasy bank. Zadran and Gurbaz face the most balls for Afghanistan.

For a safe team, build around the probable XIs above. Azmatullah Omarzai's all-round role, Mujeeb Ur Rahman's four overs, Brian Bennett's attacking starts and Blessing Muzarabani's new-ball wickets are all solid. For a grand league team, one smart risk can be Sediqullah Atal, who is in hundreds form, or Wessly Madhevere, who can chip in with bat and ball. But keep the base of your team safe - too many risks in one team rarely pay off.

Team shape that works on most days: 1 to 2 keepers, 3 to 5 batters, 1 to 3 all-rounders, and 3 to 5 bowlers, based on the pitch. If Sharjah looks dry and slow, an extra spinner is worth it. Check credits as well - a cheap player who is sure to play is better than a big name who sits out.

Key battles

Watch the powerplay first. If Gurbaz and Zadran get Afghanistan flying, Zimbabwe's spinners have to drag it back in the middle overs - Wellington Masakadza against Afghanistan's right-handers is a phase to watch. Then Rashid Khan against Sikandar Raza: the tournament's best bowler against Zimbabwe's best batter, and the duel most likely to decide the game. At the death, Farooqi's yorkers against Raza and Burl is where late fantasy points live. Small things, like who bowls the last over, can decide both the game and your Dream11 rank.

Live streaming and toss in India

In India, the series streams live on FanCode. The match starts at 8:00 PM IST, with the toss about half an hour before. Set a phone reminder, check the confirmed XIs at the toss, and fix your Dream11 team then. Do not rely on a team you made the day before if there is late news on fitness.

Our verdict

Afghanistan start as clear favourites. They have the better recent form against this opposition, deeper spin options for Sharjah, and a settled T20 core. But T20 is the format where one player can flip a game - if Raza fires and Muzarabani strikes early, Zimbabwe are right in it. Our lean is Afghanistan, most likely defending or chasing with overs to spare. Play the conditions, not the hype: wait for the toss, check for dew, and pick your captain from the sure starters.

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Sources

IPL.com - Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe in UAE 2026: schedule, squads and live streaming (full schedule, both T20I squads, FanCode streaming in India); CricketDaily - Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2026: T20I and Test schedule, squads (dates, IST times, squads); SuperSport - Afghanistan announce all-format squads (official T20I squad); ESPNcricinfo - Zimbabwe bat with two changes; Farooqi back for Afghanistan (tri-series final XIs, Afghanistan's tournament form); BjSports - AFG vs ZIM Dream11 prediction, final (Rashid 8 wickets, Zadran 124 runs, Raza form); CricketAddictor - AFG vs ZIM Dream11 prediction, final (ODI head-to-head 21-10, Sharjah weather); OneTurf News - ZIM vs AFG fantasy tips (Atal 104, squad notes). Photo: Rashid Khan by Afghanistan Cricket Board, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Checked on Oct 24, 2026. Where we could not verify a fact, we left it out.

By CricketPlaying11 Desk. All XIs are Probable / Predicted unless a team confirms them at the toss.