Rahmat Shah Leads Afghanistan to Comfortable Win Over Ireland in 5th ODI

Rahmat Shah and Sediqullah Atal put together a record stand for the third wicket to help Afghanistan complete their highest-ever ODI chase. They beat Ireland by six wickets in the fifth and final ODI in Belfast, securing a 4-0 series win.

Rahmat remained unbeaten on 143 and shared a 201-run partnership with Atal. The pair came together after Afghanistan were reduced to 22/2 within the first six overs.

Afghanistan had been in control throughout the series, winning all three completed matches after the first game was washed out. However, the final ODI looked like it could go Ireland’s way. Curtis Campher led the hosts to a challenging 299, which looked very much defendable when Afghanistan lost both openers early in the second innings.

However, the arrival of Rahmat Shah and Sediqullah Atal completely disrupted the Ireland plans, as the duo played smartly in the middle overs to take the chase forward.

They kept the run-rate under control by smashing regular boundaries in the middle phase, giving Afghanistan a strong charge towards the total.

Rahmat Shah played a key role in this partnership, as he kept up the pressure on the Irish bowlers by hitting them on both sides of the wicket.

Meanwhile, Sediqullah Atal looked set to score a fighting century, but he fell short of just 2 runs, as McCarthy dismissed him on 98 to give Ireland a third breakthrough.

His dismissal didn’t put much pressure on Shah, as he kept playing his natural game after scoring a remarkable ton. Due to his brisk partnership with Azmatullah Omarzai, Afghanistan finally completed the chase in the penultimate over for the loss of just 4 wickets.

Rahmat Shah went back to the pavilion unbeaten on 143, helping Afghanistan seal their biggest chase in the ODI format. The victory also helped them to win the series 4-0, denying Ireland any opportunity to win a single match on their home turf.