Here are the Predictions for Afghanistan Tour of Ireland 2026, 1st ODI Match – Ireland vs Afghanistan, to be played on the 5th of August at the Bready Cricket Club, Magheramason.
Match Prediction – Ireland v Afghanistan
Ground Stat:
Average 1st innings Total at
Bready Cricket Club, Magheramason (Men’s ODI’s) – 255
Average 1st innings Total at
Bready Cricket Club, Magheramason (Men’s ODI’s) – 240
Current Form Afghanistan:
Afghanistan are currently placed at the 8th position on ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings with a rating of 90.
When it comes to ODI’s, Afghanistan are in terrible form. They have recently lost a 3 Match ODI Series against India by 3-0.
Afghanistan are led by the experienced Rahmat Shah. They are expected to do very well in the ODI Series against Ireland.
Players to look out for:
1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz – He basically rules on his own terms in white ball cricket. Gurbaz can pace his innings very well in the ODI format and he is very much capable of playing match-winning knocks for his team.
2. Rashid Khan – He is the backbone of Afghanistani bowling. Khan has plenty of variations in his bowling arsenal and he will play a key role for Afghanistan in the upcoming matches with the ball in hand.
Current Form Ireland:
Ireland are currently placed at the 12th position on ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings with a rating of 54.
When it comes to ODI’s, Ireland are in a decent form. They last played an ODI Series back in May 2025 against West Indies, which they managed to tie at 1-1.
They have recently beaten a strong Indian side in a T20I Series and this should give them heaps of confidence leading into the ODI’s against Afghanistan.
Ireland are led by Paul Stirling. They have several match winners in their squad but they will have to play their A game in order to challenge a strong Afghanistan side.
Players to look out for:
1. Harry Tector – He is an in-form top order batter, who paces his innings quite well in the 50 overs format. Tector is expected to be amongst runs in the upcoming matches.
2. Jai Moondra – He has been in good form lately. Moondra can keep it very tight in the Powerplay overs and he also has a knack of breaking partnerships.
Let’s have a look at the squads:
Ireland
Paul Stirling (c), Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Ben Calitz, Curtis Campher, Cade Carmichael, George Dockrell, Gavin Hoey, Andrew McBrine, Liam McCarthy, Byron McDonough, Jai Moondra, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker.
Afghanistan
Rahmat Shah (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (vc), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Nangyal Kharoti, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Yamin Ahmadzai, Saleem Safi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi
Cricket Match Predictions* – PrePlay
Who will win the toss? – Ireland
Who will win? – Afghanistan
Top Batter (Runs Scored) – Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan), Harry Tector (Ireland)
Top Bowler (Wickets taken) – Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Jai Moondra (Ireland)
Most Sixes – Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan), Mark Adair (Ireland)
Player of the Match – Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan)
Team Scores Batting first – Afghanistan 275+, Ireland 265+
Match Handicap : Afghanistan
Live Cricket Streaming Afghanistan Tour of Ireland 2026 – The live cricket streaming page which enables you to watch live cricket – Geo-restrictions apply
*NB these predictions may be changed nearer the start of the match once the final starting teams have been announced and we will be running ‘In-Play’ features, so stay tuned.
Also, the predictions and picks are formulated from the stats and information sourced and compiled from AI and Stats experts – Always remember, when the fun stops… STOP
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