Afghanistan have already secured a spot at the 2027 ODI World Cup and an unassailable 2-0 series lead, and they return to Stormont looking to complete the job on Wednesday, August 12, at 9:45 AM local (3:15 PM IST).
Rashid Khan was Player of the Match in the 3rd ODI, contributing an unbeaten 37 and 3 for 44 as Afghanistan chased down 207 with 3 wickets and 31 balls to spare, sealing their World Cup qualification in the process.
Ireland, whose own qualification hopes ended when the series opener was washed out, will simply be playing for pride in the final two matches.
IRE vs AFG Match Details
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Ireland vs Afghanistan, 4th ODI |
| Series | Afghanistan tour of Ireland 2026, five-match ODI series. Afghanistan lead 2-0 and have already secured direct qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup as the eighth and final team to do so. |
| Date | Wednesday, 12 August 2026 |
| Time | 9:45 AM local / 3:15 PM IST |
| Venue | Stormont (The Village), Belfast |
| Format | One Day International, 50 overs per side |
| Captains | Paul Stirling (Ireland), Rahmat Shah (Afghanistan) |
| Form | IRE: Lost the 3rd ODI by 3 wickets despite posting 206, unable to defend the total in the closing stages. Paul Stirling remains in good touch with 355 runs across his last 10 matches. AFG: Won the 3rd ODI in a nervy finish to seal both the series and World Cup qualification. Ibrahim Zadran has been outstanding, with 462 runs at an average of 51.33 across his last 9 matches, and Rashid Khan has taken 19 wickets in the same span. |
| H2H | Afghanistan have won the last seven ODIs between these sides, and Ireland’s most recent win in the format dates back to May 2019. |
Dream11 Team for IRE vs AFG, 4th ODI
Top Picks for IRE vs AFG, 4th ODI
| Player | Team | Role | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | AFG | Captain / WK | Captain pick. Top-scored in the 3rd ODI chase, career-best form. At 2x. |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | AFG | VC / AR | Vice-Captain pick. 15 wickets across his last 9 matches. At 1.5x. |
| Rashid Khan | AFG | Bowler | Player of the Match in the 3rd ODI, 19 wickets in his last 9 matches. |
| Ibrahim Zadran | AFG | Batter | 462 runs at an average of 51.33 across his last 9 matches. |
| Paul Stirling | IRE | Captain / Batter | Ireland’s captain, 355 runs across his last 10 matches. |
Pitch Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | Stormont (The Village), Belfast. Hosting its second match of the series after the 3rd ODI produced a competitive 206 plays 207. |
| Pitch Type | A ground with a reputation for helping seamers, particularly early on, though the 3rd ODI here showed the surface can also support totals in excess of 200 once batters are established. |
| Scoring | The 3rd ODI at this ground produced totals of 206 and 207, a reasonable guide for a competitive but not overly high-scoring contest today. |
| Pace vs Spin | New-ball seamers on both sides should find early assistance, with Rashid Khan and Allah Ghazanfar’s spin having proved decisive in the middle overs last time out, while George Dockrell and Andrew McBrine look to do the same for Ireland. |
| Toss Factor | Given the ground’s reputation for helping the ball move around, expect the toss winner to consider bowling first. |
Weather Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Temperature | Around 24°C (76°F), mild for the time of year. |
| Sky | Cloudy through the day. |
| Rain Chance | Moderate, around 35 percent. Worth keeping an eye on, though not high enough to expect a complete wash-out. |
| Humidity | Moderate, typical of a Northern Irish summer morning. |
| Overall | A real but manageable chance of interruption, with conditions otherwise fair for a full 50 overs a side. |
IRE vs AFG Toss Prediction
With Stormont’s reputation for helping the new ball move and a moderate rain risk in the mix, expect the toss winner to lean toward bowling first.
**If Paul Stirling (Ireland) wins, **expect him to bowl first, trusting Mark Adair and the pace attack to make early inroads before backing his own top order, including Andrew Balbirnie and Cade Carmichael, to chase down a target after their promising total in the last match.
**If Rahmat Shah (Afghanistan) wins, **expect Afghanistan to also bowl first, using the pace attack to apply early pressure before trusting Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz to seal another series win in the chase.
Injury and Team News
Ireland:
Ireland will look to salvage some pride after their World Cup qualification hopes ended with the series opener washout, having pushed Afghanistan close in the 3rd ODI before falling by 3 wickets. Captain Paul Stirling remains in good touch with the bat, and the squad continues to blend experience with fresh faces still finding their feet at this level. No further injury concerns have been reported for the squad ahead of this fixture.
**Key players: **Paul Stirling (c, captain, in good recent touch), Andrew Balbirnie (steady top-order presence), Cade Carmichael (impressive recent returns), Mark Adair (leading wicket-taker with 15 across his last 7 matches), George Dockrell (closing in on Ireland’s all-time ODI wicket-taking record), Curtis Campher (all-round option).
**Predicted Ireland XI: **Paul Stirling (c), Andrew Balbirnie, Cade Carmichael, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Andrew McBrine, Mark Adair, Jai Moondra, Ben Calitz, Byron McDonough.
Afghanistan:
Afghanistan have already wrapped up the series and secured their place at the 2027 World Cup, and captain Rahmat Shah will want to finish the job with a series sweep. Rashid Khan’s all-round brilliance in the 3rd ODI, and Ibrahim Zadran’s consistent scoring throughout the tour, have been the standout factors in a dominant campaign. No injury concerns have been reported for the squad ahead of this fixture.
**Key players: **Rahmat Shah (c, leading a side already through to the World Cup), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (captain pick, vice-captain, top-scored in the 3rd ODI), Ibrahim Zadran (462 runs across his last 9 matches), Rashid Khan (Player of the Match in the 3rd ODI, 19 wickets recently), Azmatullah Omarzai (vice-captain pick, 15 wickets and useful runs), Sediqullah Atal (fresh face pressing for a top-order spot), Allah Ghazanfar (young off-spin option).
**Predicted Afghanistan XI: **Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah (c), Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Darwish Rasooli, Rashid Khan, Allah Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Yamin Ahmadzai.
