AFG vs ZIM Test Series 2026: Schedule, Timings, Where to Watch

The AFG vs ZIM Test series 2026 is a two-match series at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE. The 1st Test runs from 5 to 9 November and the 2nd Test from 13 to 17 November. Play starts at 11:30 AM IST each day, and in India you can watch it only on the FanCode app and website, because no TV channel is showing it.

Afghanistan are the home side even though the games are in the UAE. They come in after sweeping the T20Is 3-0, but Test cricket between these two has been much closer. Each side has won two of the five Tests they've played.

AFG vs ZIM Test series 2026 schedule and timings

Play begins at 10:00 AM local time in Sharjah (6:00 AM GMT), according to the ESPNcricinfo fixtures page. Add 1 hour 30 minutes for India and you get 11:30 AM IST. Some sites list a 10:30 AM IST start, so if you want to catch the toss, open the stream by 11:00 AM.

A full day of Test cricket usually goes on until around 6:30 PM IST, with lunch and tea breaks along the way. If time is lost, play can be extended.

Where to watch AFG vs ZIM Test live in India

• Live streaming: FanCode app and website. You'll need a match pass or a FanCode subscription.
• TV: no channel in India is showing the series, so Star Sports, Sony and DD Sports won't have it.
• Free option: no official free stream has been announced. Live scores and commentary are free on the major cricket score apps.

Wisden confirms the FanCode-only setup for India. In Afghanistan, Ariana TV is showing the games. In North America, they're on Willow.

FanCode's prices change through the season, so compare the current series pass and subscription in the app before you pay.

AFG vs ZIM 1st Test playing 11

Zimbabwe won the toss on day one and chose to bat. Brian Bennett is captain because regular skipper Richard Ngarava is out with a back injury. Rahmat Shah leads Afghanistan. Rashid Khan isn't playing Test cricket right now, because Afghanistan are resting him from the longest format.

Two picks stand out. Antum Naqvi is making his Test debut at 27. He averages over 60 in first-class cricket, and in 2024 he made the first triple century ever scored in a Zimbabwe domestic match. Leg-spinner Graeme Cremer, now 40, is back in Tests for the first time since December 2017. Rahmanullah is also on debut for Afghanistan (ESPN).

Playing XIs for the 2nd Test will be named at the toss on 13 November.

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe head to head in Tests

This is the sixth and seventh Test between the two sides. The record so far is level.

The last meeting went badly for Afghanistan. They were bowled out for 127 and 159 in Harare, and Ben Curran's 121 won Zimbabwe the game inside three days. The one bright spot was seamer Ziaur Rahman, who took 7 for 97 on debut. He's in the XI again here.

On the UAE's slower pitches the result in 2021 was 1-1, and that's the best guide for this series. Expect spin to matter more than it did in Harare.

How the T20I series set this up

Afghanistan won all three T20Is in Sharjah. In the second game they were 5 for 4, then Azmatullah Omarzai hit 116 off 50 balls to lift them to 221. Sikandar Raza's reply made him the oldest man to score a T20I hundred, but Zimbabwe still lost by 19 runs. In the third game Zimbabwe were bowled out for 79, and Afghanistan chased it in 8.1 overs.

Don't read too much into that for the Tests, though. Most of Afghanistan's T20 stars, Rashid Khan included, aren't in the Test XI. Zimbabwe's Test side is built around patient batters like Curran, Kaia and Ervine, and Muzarabani's pace.

Players to watch in the AFG vs ZIM Tests

• Rahmat Shah (AFG): scored 234 the last time these teams met in Bulawayo, and is Afghanistan's leading Test run-scorer.
• Hashmatullah Shahidi (AFG): made 246 in that same match. In 2021 he became Afghanistan's first Test double centurion, against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi.
• Ziaur Rahman (AFG): the 7 for 97 man from Harare.
• Innocent Kaia (ZIM): made 140 against Bangladesh in June 2026, when Zimbabwe won by an innings and 85 runs, their biggest Test win.
• Blessing Muzarabani (ZIM): Zimbabwe's main strike bowler, and back from injury.

If you follow cricket closely, our India vs New Zealand ODI series 2026 guide and the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 schedule cover the other red-ball and white-ball action running this month. For the women's game, see the WPL 2027 auction sold list.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I watch the AFG vs ZIM Test live in India?

Only on the FanCode app and website. No TV channel in India is showing the series, so you won't find it on Star Sports or DD Sports.

What time does the AFG vs ZIM Test start in IST?

Play starts at 11:30 AM IST (10:00 AM in Sharjah), and the toss is at 11:00 AM IST. The same timing applies to both Tests.

When is the AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test?

The 2nd Test is from Friday 13 November to Tuesday 17 November 2026, again at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Who has won more Tests, Afghanistan or Zimbabwe?

Neither. Before this series they had played five Tests, and each side won two, with one draw.

Is Rashid Khan playing in the AFG vs ZIM Test series?

No. Afghanistan named their squads on 1 October 2026 and kept resting Rashid Khan from Test cricket. He played in the T20Is, where he became the first bowler to take 200 T20I wickets.