Kabul – August 7, 2026: AfghanAtalan delivered a commanding all-round performance to defeat Ireland by 92 runs in the second match and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match ODI series.
Rashid Khan produced a
sensational bowling performance, claiming outstanding figures of 6/34 to
dismantle Ireland’s batting lineup and play a pivotal role in Afghanistan’s
comprehensive victory. Alongside him, Azmatullah Omarzai continued his
impressive all-round contribution by making crucial breakthroughs with both the
new and old ball, while Fazal Haq Farooqi added another wicket to his tally as
Afghanistan successfully defended their imposing total.
Earlier in the day, Afghanistan
were invited to bat first after Ireland won the toss. The match began after a
delay due to a wet outfield and was reduced to 47 overs per side.
The openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz
and Ibrahim Zadran provided a solid foundation at the top of the order, giving
Afghanistan a strong start. The momentum was maintained throughout the middle
overs, while the batters finished the innings strongly to help Afghanistan post
a formidable total of 299/8 in their allotted 47 overs.
For Afghanistan, Ibrahim Zadran
led the scoring charts with a well-composed 84 runs, bringing up his 10th
half-century in ODIs. Sediqullah Atal contributed a valuable 45 runs, while Hashmatullah
Shahidi played an important unbeaten knock of 36 runs and provided a strong finishing
touch to the total. Azmatullah Omarzai added 33 runs, Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored
32, and Rahmat Shah contributed 30 runs in his first match as Afghanistan’s
full-time ODI captain.
Chasing a target of 300 runs,
Ireland got off to a competitive start but struggled to maintain momentum as Afghan
bowlers kept applying pressure at regular intervals. Rashid Khan was the
standout performer, claiming his seventh five-wicket haul in ODI cricket and
finishing with match-winning figures of 6/34 to help bowl Ireland out for 207
runs. For his exceptional bowling performance, Rashid Khan was named Player of
the Match.
Meanwhile, Azmatullah Omarzai
achieved two significant milestones during the match, completing 2,000
international runs and claiming his 100th international wicket. With this
achievement, Omarzai became only the fourth Afghan cricketer after Mohammad
Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, and Rashid Khan to achieve the remarkable double of
scoring 2,000 international runs and taking 100 wickets in international
cricket.
In another notable milestone, Rahmat
Shah became the eighth Afghan captain to lead Afghanistan in men’s ODIs,
following in the footsteps of Nawroz Mangal, Karim Khan Sadiq, Mohammad Nabi,
Asghar Afghan, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, and Hashmatullah Shahidi.
It is worth mentioning that the
opening ODI of the series was abandoned due to persistent rain, while the
second ODI concluded with Afghanistan securing a dominant victory. Following
the match, both teams will travel to Belfast, where after a two-day break, they
will return to action on Monday for the third ODI of the series.