Harare: Powered by Faisal Shinwazada’s historic innings, Afghanistan thrashed Ireland by 191 runs in the Under-19 World Cup 2026 Super-6 match at Harare Sports Club to secure a place in the semifinals. The semifinal match will be played on February 4 at the same venue.
From Group 1, Afghanistan joined Australia in the semifinals, while Sri Lanka, West Indies, South Africa, and Ireland have been eliminated from the title race.
After winning the toss on Friday, Afghanistan elected to bat and posted a strong total of 315 runs for the loss of seven wickets. The team lost both openers early, at just 27 runs.
Faisal Shinwazada then steadied the innings with Uzairullah Niazi, putting together a 75-run partnership for the third wicket. Niazi scored 26 before getting out. Following this, Shinwazada and captain Mahboob Khan built a commanding 188-run partnership for the fourth wicket, taking Afghanistan to a formidable total.
Shinwazada scored an impressive 163 runs off 142 balls, including 19 boundaries, becoming the highest individual scorer for Afghanistan in the Under-19 World Cup. Captain Mahboob contributed 89 runs off 79 balls. From the Irish side, Ruben Wilson and captain Oliver Riley took three wickets each, while Thomas Ford claimed one.
In reply, Ireland was bowled out for just 124 runs in 40.4 overs. The team lost five wickets by the time the score reached 53. Marco Betts and Ruben Wilson then added a 55-run partnership for the sixth wicket, but after that, wickets fell rapidly again.
Betts scored 34 runs with two boundaries, while Wilson made 31 runs off 36 balls with four boundaries. Abdul Aziz and Aqil Khan took three wickets each for Afghanistan, while Nooristani Umarzai and Ruhullah Arab claimed one wicket apiece.
With this dominant win, Afghanistan advances confidently to the semifinal stage of the Under-19 World Cup 2026.
My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 7 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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