Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch report and weather conditions

After playing two Tests in Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe will switch formats and clash in a 3-match T20I series at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

The pitch at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium equally assists the batsmen and the bowlers. The fast bowlers have traditionally been more successful in the initial phases of matches, while the spinners have come into play in the latter half.

The batsmen need to spend some time in the middle before dominating the opposition team. The average first innings score in the last 44 T20Is on this ground has been 139, with teams batting second winning 24 of those matches. The team winning the toss in the upcoming matches will thus look to field first.

Not many of the current players in the two squads have played a lot of T20I cricket at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. All-rounder Rashid Khan represented the Sunrisers Hyderabad in quite a few IPL 2020 games on this ground.

Naveen-ul-Haq, Najibullah Zadran, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz are the others to have taken part in a few matches here during the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 League. Having played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium recently, these Afghan players will have a clear idea about the conditions.

Apart from this, Afghanistan have an 8-1 win-loss record against Zimbabwe in T20Is. The Afghans have beaten their African rivals in all four T20Is in the Gulf country. Hence, the Asghar Afghan-led outfit will head into the series as the favorites to take the trophy home.

Sheikh Zayed Stadium weather conditions

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan could be the 'X-factor' player of this series

All three games will happen in the afternoon under a clear sky, with the start time being 2:00 pm local time for each. The sun will shine brightly during the first innings and gradually set as the fixture progresses.

The temperature will loom around 30 degrees Celsius on all three matchdays, with the humidity levels expected to be 40%.