Where to Watch Afghanistan vs Ireland 2026: Full Schedule ODI series schedule, live streaming, FanCode, RTA Sport & Premier Sports TV channel details — where to watch every match live.

Afghanistan’s white-ball cricket team is set to travel to Ireland in August 2026 for a five-match One-Day International series, giving fans across the world an action-packed fortnight of cricket in Northern Ireland. With both sides having gone through recent transitions — Afghanistan fresh off a tough series against India, and Ireland eager to test themselves against a genuine ODI heavyweight — this tour promises plenty of intrigue. If you are wondering exactly when the matches are being played, which venues will host them, and most importantly, where you can watch every ball live from your country, this guide covers everything you need to know.

Where to Watch Afghanistan vs Ireland 2026

Series Overview: Afghanistan Tour of Ireland 2026

The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed that the national team will tour Ireland for a five-match ODI series running from August 5 to August 14, 2026. All five matches will be played across two venues in Northern Ireland — Bready Cricket Club in Bready and the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast — continuing Ireland’s tradition of hosting fellow associate-turned-full-member and Full Member nations at these compact, atmospheric grounds.

This will be a five-match bilateral rubber, unlike the shorter three-match series the two sides have played in the recent past (including their 2024 meeting in the UAE). A longer series gives both boards useful data across a broader sample of matches, which matters given that neither side has settled ODI combinations locked in ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup cycle.

Notably, this tour comes just weeks after Afghanistan wrapped up a three-match ODI series in India, where they suffered a 3-0 defeat. That means the squad touring Ireland will be looking to regroup and rebuild momentum on used, seaming Irish surfaces that behave very differently from the flat, batting-friendly pitches typically found on the subcontinent.

Full Match Schedule (All Times in IST)

Fans should note that Ireland is on Irish Standard Time (IST — not to be confused with Indian Standard Time), which is four-and-a-half hours behind India. That means matches starting mid-afternoon locally will actually begin around 3:15 PM Indian Standard Time, translating to a comfortable evening viewing window for cricket fans in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Always double-check local start times closer to the match day, as toss timings and coverage start times can shift slightly depending on the broadcaster.

Where to Watch in India

For Indian viewers, this series will not be available on traditional cable television in the conventional sense that fans might expect. FanCode has consistently held streaming rights for Afghanistan’s overseas white-ball tours in recent years, and it is expected to carry live streaming of the Afghanistan vs Ireland ODI series through its app and website. Fans in India who want to follow the series ball-by-ball should keep an eye on the FanCode platform for match passes or subscription-based access closer to the series start date.

On television, DD Sports — Doordarshan’s dedicated sports channel — has previously stepped in to televise associate and bilateral series that may not attract the bigger private sports networks, and it remains a possible option for free-to-air coverage of this series in India. However, because official broadcast confirmations for lesser-profile bilateral series are often announced only a few weeks before the first match, cricket fans are advised to check FanCode’s official app, the Cricket Ireland website, and Afghanistan Cricket Board announcements in the days leading up to August 5 for the final, confirmed broadcast details.

For those without a FanCode subscription, ESPNcricinfo and other cricket score-tracking platforms will provide ball-by-ball text commentary, live scorecards and match updates, which is a reliable free alternative for fans who simply want to follow the series without a paid stream.

Where to Watch in Ireland and the UK

Home fans in Ireland are in a good position when it comes to accessing this series. Cricket Ireland has increasingly partnered with dedicated sports broadcasters for its home international fixtures, and Premier Sports TV has emerged as a key rights holder for Irish home cricket in recent seasons. Viewers in Ireland and the UK should check whether Premier Sports is carrying live television coverage, alongside a possible companion streaming option through platforms tied to Cricket Ireland’s official channels.

For fans who don’t subscribe to a dedicated sports package, free-to-air options and radio-style live commentary are sometimes made available through public broadcaster sports platforms, and BBC Sport NI has a history of providing live text and audio commentary for home fixtures involving Ireland’s men’s team. This is a useful fallback for supporters who want reliable ball-by-ball updates without committing to a paid subscription.

Where to Watch in Afghanistan

For Afghan cricket fans following the tour from home or the diaspora, RTA Sport (Radio Television Afghanistan’s sports channel) has traditionally carried Afghanistan’s away matches and is expected to televise this series as well. RTA Sport also typically extends its coverage through a companion app, giving mobile viewers a way to stream matches alongside the television broadcast. Given the strong following the national side commands, expect widespread interest and commentary coverage across Afghan sports media and social platforms throughout the series.

Rest of the World: Global Viewing Options

Cricket fans outside the major participating nations are not left out entirely. Global streaming aggregators, including regional platforms that package Cricket Ireland’s international matches for audiences in the Middle East, parts of Europe, and elsewhere, typically pick up rights closer to the series date. If you’re based outside India, Ireland, the UK or Afghanistan, it’s worth checking:

Regional cricket streaming aggregators that often carry Ireland’s home international fixtures under license.

Official Cricket Ireland digital channels, which sometimes provide highlights, clips and score updates even where full live streaming isn’t available in a given territory.

ESPNcricinfo and Cricbuzz, both of which will almost certainly carry ball-by-ball commentary, scorecards and post-match analysis regardless of where you’re watching from.

As with any bilateral series involving associate or newer full-member nations, broadcast footprints can vary significantly by region, so it’s worth searching for the series name specifically about two to three weeks before the first match, when most territories finalize their rights deals.

Squad Watch: Who’s Playing and Who’s Missing

This series carries extra storylines on the Afghanistan side. Rahmat Shah has been named to lead Afghanistan’s ODI unit, marking his first assignment as captain in the format. The pace attack has been strengthened with the recall of Fazalhaq Farooqi and Yamin Ahmadzai, giving the side extra firepower with the new ball on surfaces in Ireland that traditionally offer more assistance to seamers than the flat pitches Afghanistan is accustomed to at home or in the UAE.

There are notable absentees too. Star spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been ruled out through injury, a blow given his impact in white-ball cricket. All-rounder Mohammad Nabi, who featured in the recent series against India, will also skip the Ireland tour, as he is currently committed to playing in the Global Super League for Guyana Amazon Warriors. Fareed Malik and Bilal Sami have been moved into the reserves list for this assignment.

On a more positive note for Afghanistan, senior batter Hashmatullah Shahidi is set to return to the fold as a regular member of the squad, adding valuable experience to a batting unit that will need to adapt quickly to Irish conditions after the tour of India.

For Ireland, expect the core group built around recent international regulars to take the field, with the hosts eager to build on their growing reputation in ODI cricket and use home conditions to their advantage against a higher-ranked opponent.

Head-to-Head: Afghanistan vs Ireland in ODIs

Afghanistan and Ireland have developed one of the more competitive rivalries among cricket’s newer Full Member and rising associate nations. The two sides have met on numerous occasions across ODI cricket, with Afghanistan generally holding a narrow edge overall thanks to their superior bowling depth, particularly in spin. However, Ireland has proven more than capable of springing upsets on home soil, where familiarity with the conditions and support from home crowds have occasionally tipped close matches in their favor.

Recent meetings between the sides — including their 2024 series in the UAE — have been closely fought, and fans should expect a similarly competitive series this time around, especially with both teams fielding some fresh faces and Afghanistan adjusting to home-team conditions that heavily favor Ireland’s bowlers.

Why This Series Matters

Beyond the immediate result, this tour has broader significance. For Afghanistan, it’s an opportunity to reset after a difficult series in India and fine-tune combinations ahead of future ICC events. The return of experienced hands like Hashmatullah Shahidi, paired with the recall of proven pace bowlers, suggests a squad trying to strike the right balance between experience and firepower.

For Ireland, hosting a five-match series against a full-strength Afghanistan side is a significant boost to their home international calendar and offers valuable ranking points and match practice against quality opposition. Matches at Bready and Belfast also give Irish domestic cricket infrastructure a welcome spotlight, with both venues having hosted memorable contests against touring sides in the past.

Quick Reference: Where to Watch Summary

India: Streaming expected on FanCode (app and website); possible television coverage on DD Sports

Ireland & UK: Television via Premier Sports TV (subject to confirmation); free radio-style commentary often available via BBC Sport NI

Afghanistan: Television and app coverage via RTA Sport

Rest of the World: Regional cricket streaming aggregators; live scores and commentary via ESPNcricinfo and Cricbuzz

A Look at the Venues

Bready Cricket Club, Bready has quietly become one of Irish cricket’s most reliable international venues, hosting fixtures against touring sides in recent years despite its small-town setting. The ground typically offers a fresh, grassy surface early in a series, which tends to assist swing and seam bowling in the first hour of play before flattening out somewhat as the match progresses. Boundaries are relatively short, so batters who get in can still cash in once the ball loses its hardness.

Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast, which hosts the final three matches, is a more established venue with a strong recent international pedigree. Overcast conditions common in Belfast during August can extend the assistance seamers get with the new ball, and dew in the evening sessions has occasionally played a factor in matches with later start times. Teams winning the toss in Belfast have often opted to bowl first, and it will be worth watching whether Rahmat Shah or his Irish counterpart follows that trend across the back half of the series.

Both venues are known for intimate, community-style atmospheres rather than large stadium capacities, giving the series a distinctly grassroots feel compared to bilateral cricket played in major stadiums across India, England or Australia.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the Afghanistan vs Ireland 2026 ODI series start? The series begins on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, with the first ODI at Bready Cricket Club.

How many matches are in the series? Five One Day Internationals, running from August 5 to August 14, 2026.

What time do matches start in India? Matches are scheduled for a 3:15 PM start in Irish local time, which converts to roughly the same time band in IST once the time difference is accounted for, translating into a convenient evening viewing slot for Indian audiences.

Is the series being streamed for free anywhere? There is no confirmed fully free legal streaming option in most territories at this stage; fans should expect subscription or match-pass models on platforms like FanCode in India, with free live-score and commentary alternatives available through cricket websites.

Who is captaining Afghanistan for this series? Rahmat Shah has been named Afghanistan’s ODI captain for the tour, his first assignment leading the side in the format.

Final Word

With the first ball set to be bowled on August 5, 2026, cricket fans have plenty of time to sort out their viewing plans for the Afghanistan vs Ireland ODI series. While broadcast details for series involving newer cricketing nations can sometimes be confirmed closer to the start date, the FanCode app in India, Premier Sports TV in Ireland and the UK, and RTA Sport in Afghanistan remain the most likely destinations for live coverage. Whichever platform you choose, this five-match series promises tight contests, fresh storylines around Afghanistan’s new-look captaincy, and a genuine test of Ireland’s growing credentials in 50-over cricket.

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