South Africa Triumphs Over Afghanistan in ODI Series Finale

South Africa defeated Afghanistan by seven wickets in the last ODI of their series in Sharjah. Aiden Markram’s unbeaten 69 and contributions from Tristan Stubbs helped South Africa chase a modest total of 169 after Afghanistan made poor decisions and suffered runouts, concluding the series with a win.

South Africa bounced back with a decisive victory over Afghanistan, winning by seven wickets in their final One Day International match in Sharjah. Aiden Markram's impressive unbeaten 69 and a solid contribution from Tristan Stubbs, who remained 26 not out, were pivotal in chasing down a modest target of 169 off 33 overs.

Afghanistan had outplayed South Africa in the first two matches, winning the series opener and the second game convincingly. However, their batting faltered despite winning the toss and electing to bat. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz top-scored with 89 runs, but a series of runouts and poor decision-making saw them bowled out for a modest 169.

The Afghan team experienced a blow when Rahmat Shah was run out in an unfortunate deflection off the bowler's hand. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Ikram Alikhil were also run out due to sharp fielding, leaving Afghanistan floundering at 132 for seven. Allah Ghazanfar added an unbeaten 31 to bring their total past 150. South Africa's chase was managed efficiently by Markram and Stubbs, who ensured victory despite an early wobble.

(With inputs from agencies.)