Belfast, Aug 2026: Afghanistan secured their place in the 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup in Southern Africa after overcoming Ireland by three wickets in a thrilling second match of their five-game series, with captain Rashid Khan once again proving the difference with a decisive all-round performance.
The victory gave Afghanistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and guaranteed their fourth consecutive appearance at the ODI World Cup. Rashid first played a key role with the ball, claiming three wickets as Afghanistan restricted Ireland to 206, before returning to score an unbeaten 37 and guide his side to victory with more than five overs remaining.
Afghanistan’s qualification marks another significant milestone for a side that has steadily established itself as a competitive force in international cricket. Rashid, who had earlier taken six wickets in the opening match of the series, continued his excellent form and demonstrated his value in pressure situations ahead of next year’s global tournament.
Ireland, however, produced a determined performance after appearing to be in control during the early stages. From 97 for two, their innings began to lose momentum as Afghanistan’s spinners tightened the pressure. Young leg-spinner Gavin Hoey then gave Ireland renewed hope with an outstanding spell.
Hoey extracted flight, dip and sharp turn from the surface, troubling Afghanistan’s batters throughout the middle overs. He finished with career-best ODI figures of four for 34, including the important wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who had made a fluent 71.
Seamer Mark Adair provided valuable support, continuing to find movement from the pitch. But after Hoey completed his spell by the 33rd over, Ireland struggled to maintain the same level of pressure with their remaining bowling options.
Earlier, Ireland’s total had been rescued by a record ninth-wicket partnership between Hoey and Jai Moondra. With Ireland reduced to 128 for eight against Afghanistan’s spin attack, the pair added 76 runs to give their team a competitive total.
Hoey top-scored with 36, while Moondra made 31 in only his second ODI innings. Moondra played the more aggressive role, displaying impressive footwork and awareness while facing Afghanistan’s spinners.
After dispatching a full toss, Moondra added four more boundaries before edging a delivery from Yamin Ahmadzai to Gurbaz. The wicket was Ahmadzai’s second after returning to ODI cricket for the first time since 2022.
Ireland’s innings finally ended in the 47th over when Hoey attempted a big shot against Azmatullah Omarzai and was bowled. Afghanistan’s Rashid and Ghazanfar had earlier dismantled Ireland’s top order, accounting for key wickets including Lorcan Tucker, Curtis Campher and Ben Calitz.
Afghanistan began their chase positively, with Gurbaz taking the attack to Ireland’s fast bowlers. He particularly targeted Moondra, who was unable to generate the same movement that Adair had managed.
Gurbaz brought up his eighth ODI half-century with a powerful shot over deep midwicket, but Afghanistan soon found themselves under pressure. Sediqullah Atal was dismissed for 27 after dragging a delivery from Hoey to long-on, while Rahmat Shah was bowled by an excellent Adair delivery that moved back sharply to strike the top of off stump.
Hoey continued to vary his pace and bowled predominantly at the stumps, employing tactics similar to Afghanistan’s own spinners. Hashmatullah Shahidi then fell after hitting a half-tracker straight to Moondra at deep square leg, while Darwish Rasooli attempted a sweep but toe-ended the ball to midwicket.
The pressure increased when Omarzai attempted to loft a delivery and was caught at cover, leaving Ireland with a realistic chance of producing an upset.
Rashid, however, remained composed. The Afghanistan captain played a measured innings, refusing to take unnecessary risks and waiting for the right opportunity to accelerate.
With Afghanistan needing only 15 runs for victory, Rashid began attacking more freely. A wristy whip brought the target into single figures before he completed the chase in the 45th over by collecting a couple of runs off Harry Tector.
The winning runs sparked celebrations in the Afghanistan camp as the players acknowledged a victory that secured their place at the 2027 World Cup.
Hoey’s four-wicket haul was a career-best performance in ODI cricket, and the young spinner said Rashid’s words after his spell were particularly meaningful.
At the other end, Ahmadzai remained unbeaten on four from 26 balls as Afghanistan kept their composure during a tense finish.
With the series now firmly in Afghanistan’s favour and World Cup qualification secured, the victory further underlined the growing strength and depth of the Afghan side, led by the inspirational Rashid.
