Jai Moondra To Debut? Ireland Predicted XI For 2nd ODI vs Afghanistan, 2026

Jai Moondra to make his ODI debut. [Source - Cricket Ireland/X]

After relentless rain washed out the opening ODI without a ball being bowled, Ireland and Afghanistan are now set to meet each other in the 2nd ODI of the five-match series at Bready Cricket Club Ground. 

The match begins at 3:15 PM (IST) on Friday, August 7, with both teams aiming to take a 1-0 lead and make a strong start to their road to 2027 World Cup.

Ireland vs Afghanistan 2nd ODI Preview

Ireland's opening ODI against Afghanistan at Bready was washed out without a ball being bowled due to relentless rain. The no-result was a huge setback, as it officially ended Ireland's hopes of direct qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

The Irish side will now have to qualify through the World Cup Qualifiers, making every ODI even more important. With a young squad featuring exciting names like Jai Moondra, Ireland will look to strengthen their core ahead of the qualification campaign.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan will also be desperate to gain the upper hand after the rain-forced washout. With the series still level at 0-0, here's a look at Ireland's predicted XI for 2nd ODI of the five-match series.

Ireland playing XI Vs Afghanistan, 2nd ODI

Openers and Top Order (Paul Stirling (c), Andy Balbirnie, Cade Carmichael)

Captain Paul Stirling returns to Ireland's ODI side after recovering from hamstring and calf injuries. The veteran opener is Ireland's leading run-scorer in ODI history, with 6,005 runs in 170 matches, including 14 centuries and 32 fifties.

Stirling is expected to open alongside the experienced Andrew Balbirnie, who enjoyed a strong Inter-Provincial T20 campaign but had a tough outing in the 50-over competition. The 35-year-old has scored 3,264 runs in 117 ODIs, including nine centuries and 17 half-centuries.

Youngster Cade Carmichael is likely to bat at No. 3, just as he did the last time Ireland played an ODI. His calm approach complements the experienced opening pair, giving Ireland a balanced and dependable top order.

Also Read: Cricket's Big Three Member Plans To Boycott Ireland For Hosting Afghanistan

Middle-order and Allrounders (Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, George Dockrell)

Ireland's middle-order will be led by the dependable Harry Tector, one of their most important batters across all formats. He has been in terrific form, scoring 230 runs at an average of 115 and a strike-rate of 159.72 in the recently concluded domestic 50-over competition.

Wicketkeeper-batter Lorcan Tucker is expected to follow Tector. He also heads into the series on the back of 184 runs in five innings at a strike-rate of 173.58 in the same competition. Curtis Campher adds balance to the middle-order with his ability to contribute with both bat and ball.

George Dockrell's all-round abilities provide Ireland with valuable depth in the lower middle-order. After resuming his left-arm orthodox bowling, he claimed nine wickets in this year's domestic 50-over competition and now sits on 111 ODI wickets, just four shy of becoming Ireland's all-time leading wicket-taker in the format.

Bowlers ( Andy McBrine, Mark Adair, Jai Moondra, Liam McCarthy)

Ireland's bowling attack will be led by the experienced Mark Adair, who remains their go-to pacer across all phases of the innings. Andy McBrine also heads into the series in excellent form and is expected to lead the spin attack alongside George Dockrell.

A major talking point is the possible ODI debut of left-arm pacer Jai Moondra, who impressed against India in the recent T20I series. With Josh Little unavailable through injury, Moondra's ability with the new ball makes him a strong contender to partner Liam McCarthy.

McCarthy also has a slight edge in Ireland's predicted XI for the 2nd ODI vs Afghanistan after an encouraging start to his ODI career, finishing as the joint-second highest wicket-taker in Ireland's previous ODI series against West Indies with five wickets. 

Ireland Predicted Playing XI vs Afghanistan- 2nd ODI, 2026

Paul Stirling (c), Andy Balbirnie, Cade Carmichael, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Andy McBrine, Mark Adair, Jai Moondra, and Liam McCarthy.

Also Read: How Can Ireland Qualify For 2027 World Cup After Direct Qualification Miss?