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Ireland
Afghanistan
Ireland and Afghanistan will meet in the second ODI of the 5-match series at the Bready Cricket Club. After the opening match was abandoned due to rain, both teams will look to take a 1-0 lead.
Ireland and Afghanistan have each won 2 of their last 5 ODIs, so recent form will not separate the sides. Paul Stirling will captain Ireland, while Rahmat Shah will lead Afghanistan.
This match will also be an important step in both teams' preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Every point and every performance will matter as they aim to qualify for the 12-team tournament.
Afghanistan have won the last 6 ODIs against Ireland. The last time Ireland tasted victory over Afghanistan was in May 2019. 4 of those 6 wins came while defending a total, which could make the toss and first-innings score important factors in this contest.
Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz is coming into the match after scores of 87, 107* and 102 in recent outings, and is well placed to put together another strong opening stand.
The betting tip is...
Rahmanullah Gurbaz - Over 27.5 runs
61 %
39 %
IrelandAfghanistanIreland dealt with several injury concerns ahead of the second ODI, particularly in their pace attack. Josh Little, Craig Young, Barry McCarthy, Matt Holland, Jordan Neill and David Delany remained unavailable, forcing changes to the bowling unit.
Left-arm seamer Jai Moondra earned his maiden ODI call-up after winning the Player of the Series award in the T20I series against India. He entered the match with 14 wickets from nine List A games at an average of 30.57. Right-arm seamer Byron McDonough was also in line for his ODI debut, while middle-order batter Ben Calitz added fresh batting depth. Gavin Hoey's ability to spin the ball both ways strengthened the bowling attack.
Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker remained Ireland's key batters after producing consistent performances across white-ball cricket.
Stirling, Balbirnie and Tucker are the key batters in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Paul Stirling (c), Andrew Balbirnie, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben Calitz, Curtis Campher, Mark Adair, Gavin Hoey, Andrew McBrine, Liam McCarthy/Byron McDonough and Jai Moondra.
Afghanistan welcomed back two experienced fast bowlers for the ODI series, with Fazalhaq Farooqi and Yamin Ahmadzai returning to the squad. Farooqi had last played an ODI in February 2025, while Ahmadzai had made his previous ODI appearance in November 2022.
Mohammad Nabi opted out of the series, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman missed selection due to injury. Rahmanullah Gurbaz remained Afghanistan's biggest batting threat after carrying excellent form into the series. He scored 87, 107* and 102 in the Shpageeza Cricket League before adding consistent runs for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Global Super League, helping the side win the title.
Gurbaz also took over as Afghanistan's ODI vice-captain and continued to handle wicketkeeping responsibilities. His performances at the top gave Afghanistan a strong start in recent white-ball matches.
Gurbaz, Shahidi and Rahmat are the key batters in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah (c), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sadiqullah Atal, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharote/Allah Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Ziaur Rahman.
Afghanistan will have the edge in this match because of their stronger top order and better record against Ireland. Rahmanullah Gurbaz comes into the game in excellent form after scoring 87, 107* and 102 in the Shpageeza Cricket League before making consistent contributions in the Global Super League.
But Ireland have produced the top batter in 3 of the last 4 ODIs against Ireland, with centuries in all 3 of those matches. Gurbaz will have a good chance of continuing that trend at the top of the order.
Ireland's home conditions could make the contest competitive, but Afghanistan's disciplined bowling attack has regularly made the difference in this fixture and should help them stay ahead.
