Ireland vs Afghanistan 3rd ODI: Rashid Khan's Composure Takes Afghanistan to World Cup

Afghanistan are heading to the 2027 ODI World Cup, and they booked their place in the tournament in the kind of game that says plenty about the side they have become.

On Monday at Stormont in Belfast, Afghanistan beat Ireland by three wickets, chasing down 207 with 31 balls to spare. It was not a straightforward chase. Ireland had Afghanistan under genuine pressure in the middle overs and, at 176 for 7, had every reason to believe they could pull off a win. Instead, Rashid Khan stayed at the crease, absorbed the pressure and finished the job.

For DailyCricInfo, this was the sort of ODI that deserves more attention than the final score suggests. Afghanistan did not run away with the contest. They had to fight for every run, and their experienced players delivered when the game tightened.

Ireland's 206 Was More Competitive Than It Looked

Ireland were never comfortable against Afghanistan's spin attack.

Rashid Khan and AM Ghazanfar shared six wickets between them, with Rashid returning 3 for 44 and Ghazanfar taking 3 for 29. Ireland slipped to 128 for 8 and appeared to be heading towards a modest total.

Then Gavin Hoey and Jai Moondra changed the complexion of the innings.

The pair added 76 for the ninth wicket, Ireland's biggest partnership of the innings, dragging the hosts beyond 200. Hoey top-scored with 36, while Moondra made 31. Ireland eventually folded for 206 in 46.3 overs.

It was the sort of recovery that kept Ireland in the match.

A target around 150 would have made Afghanistan's chase far more comfortable. Instead, Ireland had 207 to defend, and Stormont had already shown enough to suggest the Afghan batters would have to work for it.

Gurbaz Put Afghanistan on the Front Foot

Afghanistan's reply started well, largely because Rahmanullah Gurbaz played the innings Ireland did not want to see.

The opener scored 71 from 77 balls, striking five sixes and two fours. He gave Afghanistan early momentum and kept the required rate under control while the rest of the batting order settled around him.

But once Gurbaz was gone, Ireland found a way back.

Wickets came at regular intervals. Afghanistan lost their grip on what had looked like a manageable chase, and suddenly the pressure shifted towards the visitors.

Ireland had their opening.

Gavin Hoey made sure they took it.

Hoey Kept Ireland in the Game

Hoey's contribution was one of the most impressive aspects of Ireland's performance.

After making 36 with the bat, he returned to take 4 for 34, including the important wicket of Gurbaz. His spell kept Afghanistan's middle and lower order under pressure and gave Ireland a realistic chance of defending 206.

By the time Afghanistan reached 176 for 7, this was no longer a routine chase.

Ireland needed only three more wickets.

Afghanistan needed 31 runs.

The match had reached the stage where one mistake could decide everything.

That was when Rashid Khan took responsibility.

Rashid Khan Does What Rashid Khan Does

Rashid had already played a major role with the ball.

He now had to finish the match with the bat.

His unbeaten 37 from 43 balls was not an innings built for highlights. It was much more useful than that. Rashid read the situation, stayed alongside Yamin Ahmadzai and refused to give Ireland the wicket they needed.

Ahmadzai contributed only four runs from 26 balls, but those runs hardly explain his value. His job was to stay there, protect his wicket and give Rashid the opportunity to control the chase from the other end.

That is exactly what happened.

Rashid eventually took Afghanistan to 207 for 7 in 44.5 overs, sealing a three-wicket victory.

The numbers tell the story of his all-round contribution.

3 wickets for 44 runs.

37 not out.

A player influencing both innings when his team needed him most.

Afghanistan Secure Their 2027 World Cup Place

The victory had consequences beyond the series.

Afghanistan's win gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match ODI series and, more importantly, confirmed their direct qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup. It will be Afghanistan's fourth consecutive appearance at the men's ODI World Cup.

That is a significant achievement for a side that has steadily moved from being regarded as an exciting underdog to becoming a serious force in white-ball cricket.

Their strength has always been obvious in the spin department.

Rashid remains the headline name. Ghazanfar is developing into another major threat. But matches such as this one show another side of Afghanistan.

They are becoming increasingly comfortable winning difficult games.

Ireland Will Look Back at 176 for 7

Ireland will have plenty of reasons to be disappointed. They had Afghanistan seven down. They had Hoey bowling brilliantly. They had already removed Gurbaz after he had given Afghanistan the ideal start. The game was there. They simply could not find the final three wickets.

That is the difference in a low-scoring ODI. A team does not necessarily need to dominate the match to win it. Sometimes it comes down to who handles the last 30 or 40 runs better. Afghanistan handled them better.

A Different Kind of Afghanistan Victory

There was no huge total. No 300-plus score. No devastating opening spell that ended the contest inside the first hour. Instead, Afghanistan won through patience.

Ireland made them work for the chase. Afghanistan lost wickets. The pressure kept increasing. Yet Rashid Khan and Yamin Ahmadzai stayed composed enough to take the game away from Ireland.

That is perhaps the most encouraging part of the result for Afghanistan. They already know how to dominate when their best players are firing.

Now they are showing they can scrap, absorb pressure and finish close games. That quality will matter when they arrive at the 2027 World Cup.

For Ireland, the fourth ODI at Stormont on August 12 offers another opportunity to respond. Afghanistan, meanwhile, have already achieved the bigger objective.

The World Cup ticket is booked. And once again, when Afghanistan needed someone to stand up in a tight finish, Rashid Khan was the man at the crease.