Shinozada’s Big Hundred Against Ireland Takes Afghanistan into ICC U19 World Cup Semi-Final

Afghanistan thumped Ireland by 191 runs to book a place in the ICC U19 World Cup semi-finals. A superlative century by Faisal Shinozada stole the limelight, as he struck 163 in the first innings to give Afghanistan a big total on the board.

Batting first, Afghanistan endured a poor start, as Ireland removed the openers early in the Powerplay. They were hoping to put more pressure on the Afghans, but the counterattack of Shinozada changed the momentum of the match.

He built solid partnerships with Uzairullah Niazai and Mahboob Khan to stabilize the innings. After getting settled, Shinozada lifted the scoring rate of the team by hitting boundaries consistently. This transferred the pressure back on the young Irish team, whose bowlers looked helpless during the middle overs.

A stunning hundred by Faisal Shinozada stunned the Irish side, as Afghanistan posted a big total of 315 in the first innings. Shinozada went back to the pavilion after scoring 163 runs, hitting 18 fours and a six to give the Afghans a commanding position.

The reply of Ireland in the second innings was quite disappointing, as they looked uncomfortable against the Afghanistan attack from the beginning. The top order was cleaned up quickly by Abdul Aziz, as James West and Freddie Ogilby went back without making any notable contributions.

The middle order showcased some resistance, but the spinners again made breakthroughs to give Afghanistan a clear edge in the match. The lower order batter, Reuben Wilson, tried to hold one end, but the tailenders kept losing their wickets one after another. As a result, he also got out after scoring 31 runs, bringing an end of the Irish innings on 124. This allowed Afghanistan to register a big victory, as well as secure a confirmed spot in the semi-finals of the ICC U19 World Cup 2026.