Afghanistan Edges Closer to 2027 World Cup After Second ODI Victory Against Ireland

Afghanistan is now just one win away from qualifying for the 2027 World Cup, following a convincing victory over Ireland in the second ODI at Bready. As of September 2026, the top-eight ODI teams directly qualify for the upcoming tournament.

In this match, Ibrahim Zadran set a strong foundation with a composed 84 runs, while Hasmatullah Shahidi, playing at No. 7 for the first time in his career, added 36 runs from just 21 balls as a finisher. Mohammed Saleem, despite being Afghanistan’s most expensive bowler, troubled the Irish batters with his aggressive pace.

Ireland, currently 0-1 down in the five-match series, squandered two significant opportunities during the game. They conceded 95 runs in the last 11 overs as bowlers faltered, and in their chase, they needed 156 runs from 137 balls but collapsed, losing 7 wickets for just 63 runs, finishing 92 runs short of their target.

Cade Carmichael’s knock of 62 was one of the few positives for Ireland, along with debutant Ben Calitz, who provided a quick 27 runs off 15 balls. With the first ODI abandoned, Ireland’s path to the World Cup qualifier has become increasingly difficult, as they seek to overcome Afghanistan for the first time in eight encounters since May 2019.

Recent Form

Current form for Ireland reads: LLWLW, while Afghanistan stands at: WLLLW.

Player Spotlight

Jai Moondra’s ODI debut was challenging, as Afghanistan’s batters targeted him. His first spell resulted in figures of 5-0-48-1, and he finished with 9-0-78-1. Meanwhile, Rahmat Shah, captaining Afghanistan for the first time, contributed 30 runs and successfully orchestrated his bowlers.

Team News

Despite disappointing performances from debutants Moondra and Byron McDonough, Ireland is unlikely to make major changes for the third ODI. Their lineup includes: Paul Stirling (capt), Andy Balbirnie, Cade Carmichael, Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Ben Calitz, Mark Adair, Gavin Hoey, Jai Moondra, and Byron McDonough.

For Afghanistan, Azmatullah Omarzai left the field briefly due to a left little finger injury but later returned to bowl comfortably. They are expected to maintain their winning combination: Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmat Shah (capt), Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Mohammad Saleem, and Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Pitch and Conditions

A wet outfield delayed the toss in the second ODI by one-and-a-half hours, ultimately shortening the game to 47 overs. Cloudy conditions are expected for the next match, with a low chance of rain. The Bready ground has uneven dimensions, but batsmen found scoring opportunities in Friday’s play, which marked the first completed ODI at the venue since 2019.

Statistics and Trivia

Mohammed Saleem holds a bowling average of 247, the second-worst among bowlers with at least one wicket and 150 balls bowled in ODIs.

Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Espn