The Afghanistan vs Australia rivalry is cricket’s ultimate underdog saga. From early mismatches to heart-stopping thrillers, Afghanistan’s fearless spin wizards and gritty batsmen have repeatedly challenged the five-time world champions. Every clash blends raw aggression, tactical brilliance, fan-fueled passion, and unforgettable moments that prove no giant is invincible.
Head to Head Summary Table
Format
Matches Played
Australia Wins
Afghanistan Wins
No Result
ODI
5
4
0
1
T20I
2
1
1
0
Test
0
0
0
0
Overall
7
5
1
1
Latest Matches
Recent Afghanistan National Cricket Team Vs Australian Men’s Cricket Team Timeline encounters across formats (as of March 2026)
Tournament
Venue
Date
Toss
Afghanistan Score
Australia Score
Result
Series
Player of the Match
ICC Champions Trophy
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Feb 28, 2025
Afghanistan (bat first)
273 (50 overs)
109/1 (12.5 overs)
No Result (rain)
ICC Champions Trophy 2025
None (abandoned)
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown
Jun 22, 2024
Australia (bowl first)
148/6 (20 overs)
127 (19.2 overs)
Afghanistan won by 21 runs
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
Gulbadin Naib (AFG)
ICC Cricket World Cup
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Nov 4, 2023
Afghanistan (bat first)
244/5 (50 overs)
245/7 (48.1 overs)
Australia won by 3 wickets
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023
Glenn Maxwell (AUS)
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Nov 4, 2022
Australia (bat first)
164/7 (20 overs)
168/8 (20 overs)
Australia won by 4 runs
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022
Marcus Stoinis (AUS)
ICC Cricket World Cup
County Ground, Bristol
Jun 1, 2019
Afghanistan (bat first)
207 (38.2 overs)
209/3 (34.5 overs)
Australia won by 7 wickets
ICC Cricket World Cup 2019
Usman Khawaja (AUS)
Team Stats Table
Team
Avg 1st Innings Score
Highest Team Total
Lowest Team Total
Win % (Decided Matches)
Australia
245+
418 (2015 ODI)
109* (2025)
83%
Afghanistan
207
273 (2025)
143 (2015)
17%
Batting Kings
Player
Team
Matches
Runs
Average
Highest Score
Glenn Maxwell
AUS
4
255+
85+
201*
Ibrahim Zadran
AFG
3
155
77.5
80+
Usman Khawaja
AUS
2
120+
60+
88*
Bowling Wizards
Player
Team
Matches
Wickets
Average
Best Figures
Rashid Khan
AFG
4
8+
22
3/20+
Adam Zampa
AUS
3
7
18
4/25
Gulbadin Naib
AFG
2
6
15
4/20 (2024)
The Dawn of a Mismatch: First Encounters (2012)
In August 2012 at Sharjah, Afghanistan met Australia in their first-ever ODI. Australia won the toss, batted first and posted 272 for 8 thanks to steady fifties from Michael Clarke and Matthew Wade. Afghanistan showed real fight but managed just 206 all out, losing by 66 runs. Mitchell Starc ripped through with 4 for 47 and took Player of the Match. This match set the tone for a special rivalry: Australia dominant, Afghanistan full of heart and ready to learn.
Category
Record Details
Player / Team
Impact & Interesting Fact
Match Result
Australia won by 66 runs
Australia
Afghanistan chased 273, fell short in 43.5 overs
Highest Team Total
272/8 in 50 overs (RR 5.44)
Australia
Strong platform set by top order
Highest Individual Score
75 runs
Matthew Wade (108 balls) & Michael Clarke (94 balls)
Both scored 75; Clarke hit 2 sixes, Wade steady anchor
Best Bowling Figures
4 wickets for 47 runs
Mitchell Starc (9 overs)
Player of the Match; early breakthroughs changed game
Biggest Partnership
100 runs off 148 balls
Wade & Clarke (2nd wicket)
Built solid foundation; key to Australia’s total
Top Afghan Batsman
66 runs off 106 balls (6 fours)
Asghar Afghan
Gritty knock, held innings together
Best Afghan All-Rounder
46 runs + 2/50
Mohammad Nabi
Showed fight with bat and ball
Best Afghan Bowler
2/22 in 6 overs
Karim Sadiq
Economical and dangerous spell
Notable Debut
First ODI appearance
Glenn Maxwell (Australia)
Future superstar’s quiet start
Key Pressure Moment
Afghanistan reached 200 in 42.4 overs
Lower order fight
27-run last stand thrilled Afghan fans worldwide
World Cup Baptism: 2015 Pool Match in Perth
On March 4, 2015, at the WACA in Perth, Australia crushed Afghanistan by 275 runs in their World Cup Pool A clash. Batting first after Afghanistan won the toss and bowled, Australia smashed a then-World Cup record 417/6. David Warner blasted 178 off 133 balls (19 fours, 5 sixes), Steven Smith added 95, and Glenn Maxwell hammered 88 off 39. Afghanistan folded for 142 in 37.3 overs. Mitchell Johnson took 4/22. This massive defeat tested Afghanistan’s resolve but highlighted the gulf, while Warner earned Player of the Match.
Category
Record Details
Player / Team
Impact & Interesting Fact
Match Result
Australia won by 275 runs
Australia
Largest margin victory in World Cup history at the time; second-biggest in all ODIs
Highest Team Total
417/6 in 50 overs (RR 8.34)
Australia
Highest score ever in World Cup history (surpassed SA’s 411 earlier that tournament)
Highest Individual Score
178 off 133 balls (19×4, 5×6)
David Warner
Career-best ODI score; highest at WACA in List A; Player of the Match heroics
Best Partnership
260 runs for 2nd wicket
Warner & Steven Smith
Australia’s highest 2nd wicket stand in ODIs; broke Ponting-Watson record of 252
Explosive Cameo
88 off 39 balls (5×4, 4×6)
Glenn Maxwell
Blitzed in death overs; turned good total into record-breaking one
Best Bowling Figures
4/22 in 8 overs
Mitchell Johnson
Devastating spell dismantled Afghan top order; lethal pace on bouncy Perth pitch
Top Afghan Batsman
33 runs
Nawroz Mangal
Highest score in collapse; showed brief resistance amid carnage
Best Afghan Bowler
2/89 in 10 overs
Shapoor Zadran
Took Warner’s wicket but expensive; battled hard against onslaught
Notable Record
Highest World Cup total & win margin
Australia
Set benchmarks; Warner’s 178 highest individual score vs Afghanistan at that point
Key Pressure Moment
Australia 350/3 in 44 overs
Middle-order acceleration
Maxwell’s blitz pushed total over 400; Afghan bowlers helpless in final overs
The Near-Miss in Adelaide: 2022 T20 World Cup Last-Ball Drama
On November 4, 2022, at Adelaide Oval during the T20 World Cup Super 12, Afghanistan pushed Australia to the brink in a thrilling chase. Australia posted 168/8 after Afghanistan elected to bowl, with Glenn Maxwell’s quick 44 off 30 anchoring the innings. Afghanistan replied fiercely, needing 169. Rashid Khan smashed a blistering 48 off 23 balls, taking the game to the wire. In the final over from Marcus Stoinis, Afghanistan needed 22 but fell agonizingly short at 164/7. Australia won by 4 runs, Player of the Match Maxwell. Heartbreak for Afghanistan, relief for hosts.
Category
Record Details
Player / Team
Impact & Interesting Fact
Match Result
Australia won by 4 runs
Australia
Afghanistan needed 5 off last ball; closest T20 WC finish for AUS vs AFG
Highest Team Total
168/8 in 20 overs (RR 8.40)
Australia
Decent score on tricky Adelaide pitch; built on middle-order fight
Highest Individual Score
48 off 23 balls (3×4, 4×6)
Rashid Khan (AFG)
Explosive cameo nearly stole the game; turned 122/6 into nail-biter
Best Australian Batsman
44 off 30 balls (3×4, 1×6)
Glenn Maxwell
Player of the Match; crucial 50-run stand with Stoinis stabilized innings
Explosive Partnership
59 runs off 33 balls
Maxwell & Stoinis (6th wicket)
Revived Australia from 69/5; momentum shift in death overs
Best Bowling Figures
3/21 in 4 overs
Adam Zampa (Australia)
Masterclass spin; dismissed key Afghan batsmen including Gurbaz and Zadran
Top Afghan Batsman (non-Rashid)
30 off 23 balls
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Aggressive start; 40/2 in powerplay set platform before collapse
Best Afghan Bowler
4/29 in 4 overs
Naveen-ul-Haq
Early breakthroughs; dismissed Warner and Finch to put pressure on AUS
Notable Record
Rashid’s fastest 40+ in T20 WC chase
Rashid Khan
Back-to-back sixes off Richardson; 33 needed off 12 became tense drama
Key Pressure Moment
Final over: 22 needed off Stoinis
Last 6 balls
7-7-9-1-1-6 sequence; Rashid’s sixes lit up Adelaide; 4-run win sealed AUS qualification fears
Champions Trophy Encounters and Recent Clashes
The ICC Champions Trophy brought Afghanistan and Australia together for the first time in February 2025 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. Afghanistan batted first and reached a solid 273, powered by Azmatullah Omarzai and Rahmat Shah’s knocks. Australia raced to 109/1 in just 12.5 overs chasing 274 when heavy rain washed out the match. No result declared, but Australia advanced to the semis with the shared point. This no-decision highlighted Afghanistan’s growing ODI strength and frustration over poor drainage. Recent clashes include the 2023 World Cup thriller where Australia escaped defeat thanks to Maxwell’s heroics.
Category
Record Details
Player / Team
Impact & Interesting Fact
Match Result
No result (abandoned due to rain)
Afghanistan vs Australia
Australia qualified for semis; Afghanistan needed win for better chance but denied by weather
Highest Team Total
273 all out in 50 overs
Afghanistan
Competitive score on tricky Lahore pitch; showed batting depth against top attack
Highest Individual Score
70 runs (Ibrahim Zadran)
Ibrahim Zadran (AFG)
Solid top-order anchor; built platform before middle-order acceleration
Key Partnership
70+ runs (top order contributions)
Zadran & others
Afghanistan recovered from early wobble; Omarzai & Atal added crucial lower-order runs
Explosive Cameo
Quick contributions in death overs
Azmatullah Omarzai
Aggressive finishing pushed total to respectable 273; frustrated Aussie bowlers
Best Australian Chase Start
109/1 in 12.5 overs (RR ~8.7)
Travis Head & Steve Smith
Blazing start with boundaries galore; rain halted momentum when victory looked certain
Greatest ODI innings ever; saved Australia from famous Afghanistan upset in Mumbai
Analyze Glenn Maxwell’s 201 Innings*
In the 2023 ODI World Cup at Mumbai on November 7, Afghanistan set 292. Australia slumped to 91 for 7. Glenn Maxwell then unleashed magic, scoring an unbeaten 201 off just 128 balls with 21 fours and 10 sixes despite severe cramps. Partnering Pat Cummins in a 202-run stand, he guided Australia to 293 for 7 in 46.5 overs, winning by three wickets with 19 balls spare. This miracle chase clinched semi-final qualification and is hailed as the greatest ODI innings ever. Maxwell took Player of the Match.
Category
Record Details
Player / Detail
Impact & Interesting Fact
Match Result
Australia won by 3 wickets (19 balls remaining)
Australia
Rescued from 91/7; secured World Cup semi-final spot
Highest Individual Score
201* off 128 balls (21 fours, 10 sixes)
Glenn Maxwell
First ever ODI double century batting second; highest score in World Cup chase history
Best Partnership
202* runs for 8th wicket
Maxwell & Pat Cummins (12*)
Biggest 8th-wicket stand in ODI World Cup; turned certain defeat into victory
Chase Collapse Point
91/7 after 17 overs
Australia
Seven wickets down chasing 292; Maxwell walked in with match almost over
Strike Rate
157.03
Glenn Maxwell
Blistering pace; fastest double century in World Cup history
Explosive Phase
100 runs off just 40 balls in final stages
Maxwell
Hit sixes even while cramping and barely able to run
Records Broken
First ODI double ton in a chase
Glenn Maxwell
Surpassed all previous World Cup individual scores in a run chase
Best Afghan Bowling
2/44 in 10 overs
Rashid Khan
Tried everything but Maxwell still dominated spin and pace
Player of the Match
201* + 1/55 with the ball
Glenn Maxwell
All-round heroics; batted with severe cramps in 40+ degree heat
Key Pressure Moment
Final 10 overs: Maxwell smashed 70+ runs
Death overs
Despite limping and heat exhaustion, sealed win with boundaries; crowd in disbelief
Conclusion
Afghanistan vs Australia isn’t just stats and scorecards; it’s proof that courage and skill can bridge any gap. From record thrashings to miraculous upsets, this rivalry inspires millions and reminds us why cricket captivates the world. The future promises more fireworks, more drama, and perhaps even greater Afghan triumphs against the mighty Aussies.
