Overview
- Afghanistan beat Ireland by 42 runs at Stormont on Wednesday to move 3-0 up in the five-match series after posting 343 for 9, their highest-ever ODI total.
- Sediqullah Atal scored 143 on his 25th birthday and shared a 231-run second-wicket stand with Ibrahim Zadran to set the foundation for the big total.
- Ibrahim Zadran made 107 and completed 2,000 ODI runs in his 45th innings, making him one of the joint-third-fastest players to reach that mark.
- Rashid Khan took three wickets in the match to remain the series’ leading wicket-taker and has risen into the top ranks of active international bowlers.
- The series victory and ranking boost secured Afghanistan a direct berth for the 2027 ODI World Cup in Southern Africa ahead of the ICC cutoff on September 30, and the fifth ODI in Belfast is now a dead rubber.