What happened
Afghanistan take on Zimbabwe in the ODI Tri-Nation Series final at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on 23 October 2026, first ball at 5:00 pm IST.
Why it matters
India has no live television telecast — FanCode is the only streamer — and a dominant Afghanistan side is the story of the day.
Remember this
Afghanistan run riot in Sharjah; India watches only on FanCode.
More context & who is affected
Afghanistan reach the ODI Tri-Nation Series final in UAE unbeaten on Friday, 23 October, at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, with the ball up for toss around 4:30 pm IST and the first over timed for 5:00 pm IST.
The hosts arrive firing — a 158-run demolition of Zimbabwe on 19 October, powered by Sediqullah Atal's century and Rashid Khan's 4 for 17 — and the spin wizard follows up with his first back-to-back four-wicket hauls in an ODI career. Sharjah is forecast hot and sunny, roughly 32 to 37 degrees Celsius, with low rain risk and a track that has played slow and low.
In India the match has no live television telecast; FanCode is the only streamer.
- Venue & start
- 23 Oct, 5:00 pm IST Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE — first over 5:00 pm IST, toss ~4:30 pm IST.The Economic Times
- 19 Oct margin
- 158 runs Afghanistan 294 beat Zimbabwe 136; Sediqullah Atal century, Rashid Khan 4 for 17.The Economic TimesESPNcricinfo
- Rashid's haul
- 4 wickets x 2 First back-to-back four-wicket hauls in Rashid Khan's ODI career.ESPNcricinfo
- Sharjah first final since
- 2003 Sharjah hosts its first ODI tournament final in roughly 23 years.ESPNcricinfo
Probable line-ups (not final until toss)
Afghanistan: Gurbaz, Zadran, Atal, Shah (c), Shahidi, Omarzai, Nabi, Khan, Ghazanfar, Ahmadzai, Farooqi. Zimbabwe: Bennett, Curran, Tsiga, Taylor (wk), Ervine, Raza (c), Madhevere, Evans, Masakadza, Masuku, Muzarabani. Sources differ at the tail end.
Indi Cricket Viewers
India has no live television telecast; FanCode app and website are the only streaming option.
Cricket Fans Global
Sharjah's first ODI tournament final since 2003 highlights the city's return to hosting big-ticket matches.
Cricket Fans Global
Both sides treat the final as preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Reporting fromThe Economic Times ↗ESPNcricinfo ↗
Sources & verification2 sources · 4 claims
These are the records behind this briefing. Linked reporting is not the same as independent confirmation.
- The Economic TimesReportingPublished Oct 23, 2026 · Accessed Oct 23, 2026
- ESPNcricinfoReporting
In-form Afghanistan heavy favourites in tri-series final against Zimbabwe ↗
Published Oct 22, 2026 · Accessed Oct 23, 2026
Claims and linked sources
Afghanistan and Zimbabwe play the ODI Tri-Nation Series final at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on 23 October 2026, toss around 4:30 pm IST and first ball at 5:00 pm IST.
Afghanistan thrashed Zimbabwe by 158 runs on 19 October 2026 (294 versus 136), powered by Sediqullah Atal's century and Rashid Khan's 4 for 17.
Rashid Khan took four wickets in each of Afghanistan's round-robin matches — his first back-to-back four-wicket hauls in ODI cricket.
There is no live television telecast in India; FanCode is the exclusive streaming rights holder, with regional rights split among SuperSport, Willow, ASports, T Sports, Ariana TV, PEO TV and Sport Central.
