Afghanistan 236 for 9 (Shahidi 69, Gurbaz 51, Adair 3-51) beat Ireland 119 (Stirling 50, Nabi 5-17, Kharote 4-30) by 117 runs
Ireland tried hard to chase a score of 237 but fell short, getting all out for just 119. The 19-year-old newcomer, Kharote, did an impressive job alongside the experienced player Nabi. Together, they took nine wickets and secured a big win for Afghanistan in the third ODI against Ireland in Sharjah.
Nabi, who’s been playing for a long time and recently turned 39, bowled exceptionally well, getting his first five-wicket haul in an ODI after 15 years. Kharote, making his debut at just 19 years old, also performed admirably, taking four wickets.
Ireland’s batting collapsed dramatically, losing 8 wickets for just 26 runs. What seemed like a decent position at 93 runs for the loss of 2 wickets quickly turned into a disappointing total of 119 all out. This led to Afghanistan winning by a massive 117 runs, clinching the series 2-0 after winning the first match and having the second one washed out.
ALSO READ: WPL 2024: Ellyse Perry powers RCB into playoffs, DC all but through to final
Nabi bowled all his overs in one go, finishing with impressive figures of 5 wickets for 17 runs. He used all his experience to keep the Irish batsmen guessing with variations in pace, line, and length. Kharote, on the other hand, bowled nine overs in a row, ending up with 4 wickets for 30 runs. Nabi first wicket came in the 25th over when he dismissed Curtis Campher.
The pitch wasn’t easy for new batsmen to settle on, and earlier in the day, Nabi also contributed with the bat, adding 97 runs for the fifth wicket with Shahidi. Shahidi played patiently for his 69 runs. Despite a good start by opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Afghanistan’s total was kept in check by Ireland’s bowlers towards the end of the innings.
Even though Afghanistan’s star spinners Rashid Khan and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman were absent, Nabi and Kharote stepped up to lead the spin attack effectively.