IRE vs AFG: Rahmat Shah's career-best innings scripts Afghanistan's record ODI chase

Afghanistan completed a 4-0 series victory over Ireland with a six-wicket win in the fifth and final ODI on Saturday, August 15, at Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast. After being put in to bat first, Ireland put up another remarkable batting performance, posting a big score of 298/7 in their allotted 50 overs, riding on a splendid innings from Curtis Campher (96 off 84).

Harry Tector (53 off 80) also contributed with a valuable half-century while Azmatullah Omarzai (3/74) scalped a three-wicket haul for Afghanistan.

In reply, Afghanistan completed their highest successful run chase in ODIs, with captain Rahmat Shah leading from the front with his career-best knock. He was well-supported by Sediqullah Atal (98 off 112), with the duo helping their team get over the line in 48.5 overs with a massive partnership. As a result, Afghanistan registered their tenth consecutive ODI win over Ireland.

Top run-scorer of the Match

Top wicket-taker of the Match

Player of the Match

Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah was deservedly adjudged Player of the Match for his registering his highest ODI score. He scored his sixth ODI century, playing an innings of 143* (133) with the help of 13 fours and two sixes. 

On the other hand, Rashid Khan was adjudged Player of the Series for finishing as the highest wicket-taker of the series with 12 scalps from three innings. He also scored valuable 50 runs with his bat and won back-to-back Player of the Match awards in the second and third ODI.

Turning Point

Afghanistan were in deep trouble on 22/2 after 5.3 overs after Liam McCarthy removed both openers, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (14 off 15) and Ibrahim Zadran (5 off 13) cheaply. Seeing his team in trouble, Rahmat Shah stitched a massive 201-run stand for the third wicket off 210 balls along with Sediqullah Atal to put his team in the driver’s seat. Their stand gave Afghanistan a perfect platform to complete the run chase in 48.5 overs.

What did the captains say:

Winning Captain, Rahmat Shah (Afghanistan): 

[On getting his highest ODI score] First of all, thanks to Almighty Allah. Yeah, after a long time, I don't remember when I last made a hundred for Afghanistan. So, I will never forget this moment and this hundred. [On his partnership with Sediqullah Atal] When me and Sediqullah were on the wicket, we were just waiting for the loose ball and trying to stay on the wicket. Which bowler we have to target, which bowler we have to give respect. That's why we were going slowly, slowly to reach the target. I really enjoyed (batting with him). Sometimes he targeted the bowler, sometimes I targeted the bowler. So, it was a good innings. [On Rashid Khan] Before we came here, we had a camp in Birmingham. The weather was similar. We have a good preparation camp. And also we are very lucky to have Rashid Khan. Him and other spinners bowled really well (throughout the series).

Losing Captain, Paul Stirling (Ireland): 

[How do you reflect on the series?] It's slightly disappointing, obviously, to lose the series 4-0. I thought we had opportunities in each game. Didn't quite come up trumps, but we were pretty thoroughly outplayed, to be honest. They're a better side than us. I thought that no Rashid Khan made a huge difference today, and I thought that was probably our best chance to pip them, and fair play to that partnership, was another outstanding one that took the game away from us. [How do you assess the positives?] We just need to gel together again. We're so used to having players that have played so many times and have so many caps that experience has never been an issue. And now you go to the other end of the scale, and it takes time. You never really get it done, the job done in one go. It always seems to be bits and pieces as you go. And again, we said so many times, we've got places to go in months coming up, and it's so important that every time we go out there, we improve. I think we did show a little bit of improvement today. We were in the game and in the fight, I thought, in the field particularly. We showed that we were well up for it. So I think that's what I asked of the players, is to make sure this was no different to any other game of the series, and I think we did show that.