Afghanistan and South Africa faced off in a three-game ODI series in the UAE. Afghanistan seized the early advantage by winning the first match, marking a milestone as their first-ever win against South Africa in international cricket.
Afghanistan continued their dominance in the second game, winning by 177 runs—a record-breaking performance and their biggest run-margin victory in ODI history. This put them on the verge of a total series whitewash, leaving the Proteas playing the final match simply to avoid a complete shutout. The series concluded on Sunday, September 22, at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Afghanistan's innings was a tale of two halves. Rahmanullah Gurbaz looked strong and composed at the top, but he lacked support. The middle order crumbled as Abdul Malik (9), Rahmat Shah (1), Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (10), Azmatullah Omarzai (2), Ikram Alikhil (4), and Mohammad Nabi (5) all fell for single-digit scores, leaving the team in a precarious position.
Despite the collapse, Rahmanullah Gurbaz fought a lonely battle, scoring 89 off 94 balls with seven boundaries and four sixes before he was dismissed. In that same over, Nangeyalia Kharote fell for a duck. Further disappointments followed as Fareed Ahmad (4) and Naveed Zadran (1) departed quickly. However, Ghazanfar provided a late spark, hitting an unbeaten 31 off just 15 balls (including two fours and three sixes) to push the total to a semi-respectable score.
Ultimately, South Africa bundled Afghanistan out for 169 in 34 overs, with Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, and Nqaba Peter claiming two wickets each, while Bjorn Fortuin took one. The chase of 170 started shakily for South Africa; Captain Temba Bavuma (22), Tony de Zorzi (26), and Reeza Hendricks (18) all got out early, leaving the team reeling at 80-3. Aiden Markram stepped up to rescue the innings, scoring an unbeaten 69 off 67 balls with four fours and three sixes. Supported by Tristan Stubbs, who remained not out on 26, South Africa reached 170-3 in 33 overs to claim a 7-wicket win.
On the bowling side, Fareed Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Mohammad Nabi each took one wicket. While South Africa's victory prevented a total whitewash after two crushing losses, Afghanistan still emerged as the series winners with a 2-1 result. This is a historic achievement for Afghanistan, marking their first series win ever against a top-five ICC ranked team.