Afghanistan’s cricket team secured direct qualification for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup after defeating Ireland by 3 wickets in the third and final match of the ICC ODI series held at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast. With 31 balls remaining, this thrilling win confirmed the team’s participation in the upcoming World Cup to be held in Africa.
Afghanistan made its ICC ODI World Cup debut in 2015. Across the 2015 and 2019 editions combined, the team played 15 matches and managed to win only 1 match — against Scotland in 2015. In the 2019 tournament, the team lost all 9 matches and finished at the bottom of the points table.
The 2023 ODI World Cup held in India was a turning point for Afghanistan cricket. Although they did not reach the semi-finals, they pulled off stunning victories in 4 out of 9 matches. In particular, by defeating strong full-member nations like England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the team finished sixth in the 10-team points table.
It is worth mentioning that Afghanistan’s highest World Cup score of 291/5 came against Australia at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium in 2023. The team has crossed the 250-run mark five times in World Cups, with four of those coming in the 2023 edition.
Rahmat Shah (574 runs) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (507 runs) are Afghan batters who have scored over 400 runs in World Cups. Ibrahim Zadran became Afghanistan’s first and only batter to score a World Cup century with an unbeaten 129 against Australia in 2023.
Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi holds the record for the most World Cup wickets for Afghanistan with 21 wickets. Rashid Khan is second with 17 wickets.
Afghanistan’s cricket team is now moving forward to continue its strong performances in the mega cricket tournament scheduled to be held in Africa in 2027.
