Afghanistan secured their place at the 2027 Cricket World Cup after defeating Ireland by three wickets in the third One-Day International in Belfast on Monday.
The victory gave Afghanistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match ODI series and confirmed their automatic qualification for next year’s 50-over World Cup. The first match of the series was washed out, while Afghanistan had won the second ODI by 92 runs.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz top-scored with 71 as Afghanistan successfully chased Ireland’s total of 206. Rashid Khan then completed the job with an unbeaten 37, helping Afghanistan recover after the visitors had slipped to 176-7.
Ireland were put into bat first and struggled against Afghanistan’s bowling attack. Rashid Khan and A.M. Ghazanfar claimed three wickets each, restricting the hosts to 206 all out in 46.3 overs.
Ireland appeared in serious trouble at 128-8, but Gavin Hoey and Jai Moondra produced an important ninth-wicket partnership. The pair added 76 runs before Ireland were bowled out with 3.3 overs remaining.
Afghanistan began their chase steadily, reaching 53 before Ibrahim Zadran was dismissed for 12. Sediqullah Atal and Hashmatullah Shahidi then added useful runs, while Gurbaz provided the main contribution with his 71.
The visitors appeared to be moving comfortably towards victory before Ireland fought back. The dismissal of Azmatullah Omarzai left Afghanistan at 176-7 and gave the home side renewed hope.
Rashid, however, remained composed under pressure. He scored an unbeaten 37 from 43 deliveries and received support from Yamin Ahmadzai to take Afghanistan across the finish line in 44.5 overs.
The result also confirmed Afghanistan’s position among the teams qualifying directly for the 2027 World Cup. They join Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England and Bangladesh among the teams securing direct qualification, alongside hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The qualification is another significant milestone in Afghanistan’s development as an international cricket team. The country has now secured a place in its fourth ODI World Cup, continuing its rise from Associate-level cricket to regular competition among the world’s leading sides.
The result also means the West Indies will once again have to go through the qualification route. The two-time World Cup champions are currently outside the required top-eight ranking positions and cannot move high enough before the September 30 cut-off.
The 2027 World Cup will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Under the new format, the winner of the qualification tournament will progress directly to the second stage of the World Cup, while the teams finishing second, third and fourth will enter the opening round, known as the Super Series.
Afghanistan will now return to action against Ireland in Belfast on Wednesday for the fourth ODI of the series. With qualification already secured, the remaining matches will provide the team with further opportunities to build momentum and prepare for next year’s World Cup.
For Afghanistan, the immediate objective may have been qualification, but the result also underlines the team’s growing status in world cricket. With players such as Gurbaz producing important runs and Rashid Khan continuing to influence matches with both bat and ball, Afghanistan will enter the 2027 World Cup with increasing expectations.
The three-wicket victory over Ireland has therefore delivered more than another series win. It has secured Afghanistan’s place among the world’s leading ODI teams for the next global tournament and added another important chapter to the country’s rapidly developing cricket story.
Keywords: Afghanistan World Cup qualification, Afghanistan 2027 World Cup, Afghanistan vs Ireland, Afghanistan Ireland ODI, Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 2027 Cricket World Cup, Afghanistan cricket team, World Cup qualification, ODI World Cup 2027
Asian Burg / Sports
