The 1st Test match between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe is scheduled to begin tomorrow, 5 November 2026, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates. The match will start at 10:30 AM IST (05:00 GMT / 09:00 AM Local Time).
Match & Series Details
- Series: This is the first of a two-match Test series. It follows a three-match T20I series that Afghanistan swept 3–0 at the same venue.
- Captains: Rahmat Shah will captain Afghanistan’s Test side. Zimbabwe will be led by Brian Bennett, stepping in for the injured regular skipper Richard Ngarava.
- Where to Watch: In India, you can stream the match live on FanCode with a premium subscription. It is also available via Willow TV / Prime Video in select regions.
Team squads with their playing role
The official red-ball squads for the Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe Test series feature Rahmat Shah captaining Afghanistan and Brian Bennett leading Zimbabwe.
The comprehensive player lists and their designated playing roles for both teams are grouped below:
Head-to-Head Match Record
The overall head-to-head match record between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe across all formats shows significant dominance by Afghanistan, though their red-ball (Test) history is deadlocked on equal footing.
Here is the complete multi-format head-to-head breakdown leading into this series:
Match Day Forecast
The weather forecast for Sharjah indicates ideal, uninterrupted conditions for all five days of the 1st Test match starting tomorrow, 5 November 2026. There is 0% chance of rain, ensuring zero weather-related delays or damp outfields.
A day-by-day meteorological breakdown for the match dates highlights the following conditions: