Belfast, Aug. 11 -- An all-round effort from star spinner Rashid Khan helped Afghanistan seal an automatic spot in the 2027 ODI Cricket World Cup with a three-wicket win over Ireland in the third ODI at Belfast.

With this win on Monday, Afghanistan is 2-0 up in the five-match series. The first match was abandoned without a ball bowled.

In the previous ODI World Cup in 2023, Afghanistan were promising, finishing sixth in the points table with four wins and five losses, narrowly short of contention for a semifinal spot. With wins over defending champions England and former champions Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, they still had a tournament to be proud of.

Afghanistan won the toss and elected to field first. Half of the Irish side was back in ...