Afghanistan booked their place at the 2027 ODI World Cup in Southern Africa after a thrilling three-wicket victory over Ireland in the second match of their five-game series, with captain Rashid Khan once again proving decisive with both bat and ball.
Result
Hoey’s flight, dip, and sharp turn caused difficulties for Afghanistan. Hoey continued to mix his pace and mostly bowled stump-to-stump, using tactics similar to those of Afghanistan’s spinners. Hashmatullah Shahidi then hit a half-tracker straight to Moondra at deep square, while Darwish Rasooli got out trying to sweep, toe-ending the ball to midwicket.
Rashid took three wickets, helping Afghanistan limit Ireland to 206. He then scored an unbeaten 37 as Afghanistan chased down the target with more than five overs to spare. This win gave Afghanistan a 2-0 lead in the series and guaranteed their spot in a fourth consecutive World Cup. His figures of 4 for 34 in the middle overs brought Ireland back into the game. This included the important wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who scored 71.
