Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran produced outstanding centuries as Afghanistan posted their highest ODI total in the fourth ODI against Ireland at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast.
Afghanistan finished with 343/9 in 50 overs, with Atal scoring 143 and Ibrahim contributing 107. Their brilliant 231-run partnership completely changed the innings after Afghanistan lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz early.
It was not only a dominant batting performance but also a record-breaking one for Afghanistan.
Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran Add Historic 231-Run Partnership
Afghanistan lost Gurbaz for 12 with the score at just 16, but that was where Ireland’s control over the innings almost completely disappeared.
Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal joined hands and added 231 runs for the second wicket. The partnership came from 220 balls and took Afghanistan from 16/1 to 247/2.
It was also the third-highest partnership for any wicket for Afghanistan in ODI cricket.
The record remains the 256-run opening partnership between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran against Bangladesh on July 8, 2023. Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai are second on the list after adding an unbeaten 242 for the sixth wicket against Sri Lanka at Pallekele on February 9, 2024.
Now, Ibrahim and Atal have added another huge partnership to Afghanistan’s ODI record books with their 231-run stand.
More importantly, it came after an early wicket and against an Ireland attack that simply could not find an answer to these two batters.
🔥 ATAL & ZADRAN CREATE HISTORY FOR AFGHANISTAN! 🇦🇫🤯
Sediqullah Atal 🤝 Ibrahim Zadran — 231 RUN PARTNERSHIP! 💥
It is now the 3RD-HIGHEST PARTNERSHIP FOR AFGHANISTAN FOR ANY WICKET IN ODI CRICKET!#AfgvsIre pic.twitter.com/HWeHzQJand
— CricInformer (@CricInformer) August 12, 2026
Ibrahim Zadran Scores His Seventh ODI Century
Ibrahim once again showed why he has become one of Afghanistan’s most reliable ODI batters.
The right-hander scored 107 runs from 118 balls, hitting 11 fours and one six. It was his seventh century in ODI cricket.
His innings was not about playing high-risk cricket from the start. He controlled the innings, absorbed the pressure after Gurbaz’s dismissal and allowed Atal to play more freely as their partnership developed.
That balance between the two batters was probably the biggest reason behind the success of the partnership.
Ibrahim was eventually dismissed by Gavin Hoey at 247/2 in 38.4 overs, but by then he had already built a strong platform for Afghanistan.
Sediqullah Atal Smashes His Second ODI Hundred
If Ibrahim provided stability, Sediqullah Atal gave Afghanistan the acceleration they needed.
Atal played a superb knock of 143 from just 120 deliveries, smashing 17 fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 119.17. It was the second ODI century of his career.
What made his innings more impressive was the way he kept finding boundaries without making the innings completely dependent on risky shots.
He reached his hundred and then continued attacking rather than simply protecting his milestone.
Atal was finally dismissed at 285/3 in 42.5 overs. By that stage, Afghanistan looked capable of going well beyond 350.
Afghanistan Lose Their Way Slightly After Atal’s Wicket
This is perhaps the one area where Afghanistan will feel they could have done even better.
When Ibrahim was dismissed, Afghanistan were 247/2 after 38.4 overs. Atal continued attacking and took them to 285/3 before he departed in the 43rd over.
From 285/3 in 42.5 overs to 343/9 after 50 overs, Afghanistan added another 58 runs but also lost six wickets.
Considering the platform created by Ibrahim and Atal, Afghanistan had a real opportunity to push towards 360 or even higher.
Darwish Rasooli played a useful cameo of 24 from 14 balls, while Azmatullah Omarzai scored 15 from 12. Rashid Khan also contributed 11. However, there was no major finishing innings after Atal’s dismissal.
So, 343 was a huge total, but Afghanistan could still feel that a few runs were left on the field.
Ireland’s Problems Continue Against Afghanistan
For Ireland, this series has continued to become more difficult.
Earlier in the series, Rashid Khan’s leg-spin had created major problems for their batting unit. He took six wickets in the second ODI as Afghanistan registered a convincing 92-run victory.
There had still been some positive signs from Ireland’s bowling attack in patches during the series. However, in this match, even their bowlers struggled badly.
They simply could not find a way to break the partnership between Atal and Ibrahim for a long period. By the time they finally removed Ibrahim, Afghanistan were already approaching 250 with more than 11 overs still remaining.
Byron McDonough picked up three wickets, while Gavin Hoey and Mark Adair took two each. However, McDonough conceded 84 runs from his 10 overs and Hoey went for 71. Ireland also conceded 19 wides, which only made their job more difficult.
Against a batting unit already in complete control, those extra runs were costly.
Afghanistan Highest ODI Total: 343/9 Creates New Record
The biggest record of the innings came with Afghanistan’s final score.
Their 343/9 is now the Afghanistan highest ODI total, going past their previous record of 339/6 against Sri Lanka at Pallekele on February 9, 2024.
Interestingly, Afghanistan had made that score while chasing Sri Lanka’s massive 381/3 and eventually lost the match by 42 runs.
This time, they went four runs further and created a new national record.
The record also shows how much Afghanistan’s ODI batting has improved. They are no longer a team that depends only on their world-class spin attack to dominate matches.
Players such as Ibrahim, Gurbaz, Atal, Omarzai and others have given this batting unit far more depth and quality.
🚨 HISTORY CREATED BY AFGHANISTAN! 🇦🇫🔥
343/9 vs Ireland — Afghanistan have registered their HIGHEST-EVER TOTAL IN ODI CRICKET! 🤯💥
📈 Previous Highest: 339/6 vs Sri Lanka
🔥 New Record: 343/9 vs IrelandAFGHANISTAN CONTINUE TO RISE IN ODI CRICKET! 🇦🇫#AfgvsIre pic.twitter.com/kJNHyA02t6
— CricInformer (@CricInformer) August 12, 2026
Afghanistan in a Commanding Position After First Innings
At the end of the first innings, Afghanistan were clearly in a commanding position.
A total of 343 puts serious scoreboard pressure on any chasing side, and Ireland already know the threat Afghanistan’s bowling attack can create.
The most impressive part of the innings, though, was the way Afghanistan recovered after losing Gurbaz with the score at 16.
Sediqullah Atal’s second ODI century and Ibrahim Zadran’s seventh ODI century completely changed the situation. Their 231-run stand gave Afghanistan control for almost the entire middle phase of the innings.
Afghanistan could perhaps have scored even more after reaching 285/3 in the 43rd over, but 343/9 was still enough to become the Afghanistan highest ODI total.
For Ireland, the task was simple to understand but extremely difficult to execute: they needed 344 to stop Afghanistan from tightening their grip on another match in the series.
A sensation batting performance from Afghanistan leads them to a massive total of 343/9 in their 50 overs against Ireland! 🏏
Key Batting Performances:
🇦🇫 Sediqullah Atal: 143 (120) [17×4, 4×6]
🇦🇫 Ibrahim Zadran: 107 (118) [11×4, 1×6]
🇦🇫 Darwish Rasooli: 24 (14)… pic.twitter.com/WOKA3Yp2H4— CricInformer (@CricInformer) August 12, 2026
