Zimbabwe To Tour Asia For All-Format Tour To End 2026 (Source: AFP)
Zimbabwe Cricket looks to carry forward the momentum gathered in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, when they reached the Super Six for the first time in their history. On their way to the second stage of the tournament, they toppled the mighty Australians and hosts Sri Lanka to make it a memorable tournament by topping their group.
Now, to continue building on their learnings from the tournament, Zimbabwe Cricket is set to announce another full-fledged all-format series against an ICC full member later this year. This means they will play four full member nations in the next 6 months, heading into the home World Cup year.
Crucial 2026 for Zimbabwe
At the back of a solid T20 World Cup run earlier in the year, Zimbabwe went on a few-month break during the IPL and PSL summer. While some of their big names were involved in these leagues, international cricket took a back seat.
In their next international assignment, they host Bangladesh for a one-off Test, followed by a three-match ODI series and a three-match T20I series from June 28 to July 17. Then India will travel to Zimbabwe for three T20Is — first for three T20Is in July, then three ODIs in January. Meanwhile, they will also play three ODIs against Australia in September.
Also Read: India vs Zimbabwe Schedule 2026 Announced, Venues Picked
Zimbabwe to play Afghanistan to end 2026
With the September to December window open for more matches, Zimbabwe cricket is reportedly set to announce another all-format series against another higher-ranked team, Afghanistan.
In the series against Afghanistan, Zimbabwe will either tour India or the UAE for two Test matches, three ODIs and three T20Is. This means they will play two all-format series in the next six months.
The official announcement for the tour is awaited, as the venues for these matches are still to be established. Afghanistan will be coming to this series after the tours of India and Ireland in the next few months.
Zimbabwe look to improve international reputation
This tour will hold significant importance for Zimbabwe because they have earned automatic qualification to next year’s ODI World Cup as hosts, and will be looking to put their best foot forward.
Additionally, there have been discussions over an extended version of the World Test Championship to potentially increase the number of teams from 8 to 10 or 12. This means a good showing from both Zimbabwe and Afghanistan would help their case to be involved in the WTC.
The last time these two teams met was back in October and November of 2024, when they played one Test and three T20Is in Harare. This will be the first time since 2021 that these two sides will play a bilateral series outside Zimbabwe, making it an interesting watch, with different dynamics.
Ahead of this series, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan have met in 57 international matches across formats between 2014 and 2025. Despite being the more experienced team, Zimbabwe have won only 14 and Afghanistan have won 41.
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