Afghanistan vs Australia Cricket Timeline: Complete Head-to-Head History, Stats and Records

The Afghanistan national cricket team vs Australian men’s cricket team timeline is one of modern cricket’s most compelling growth stories. Two nations separated by history, geography, and cricketing infrastructure have met six times across ODI and T20I cricket since 2012. Australia lead the rivalry 4–1 with one no result, but the story behind those numbers tells you far more than any scoreline can. From a 275-run thrashing in Perth to a famous 21-run upset in St. Vincent, this rivalry has moved from one-sided dominance to genuine competition within a single decade.

Rivalry at a Glance

First Match	Latest Match	Biggest Win	Afghanistan’s First Win
Aug 2012, Sharjah	Feb 2025, Lahore	Australia by 275 runs (2015)	Jun 2024, St. Vincent

Head-to-Head Record

Australia lead the all-time head-to-head 4–1 with 1 no result across 6 international matches.

Format	Matches	Australia	Afghanistan	No Result
ODI	5	4	0	1
T20I	1	0	1	0
Total	6	4	1	1

The afghanistan national cricket team vs australian men’s cricket team rivalry in ODIs has been dominated by Australia in all formats except the T20I arena, where Afghanistan hold a 100% record. Afghanistan’s only loss in a completed T20I between the two sides is yet to happen- they have won the only match played.

World Cup Record

Afghanistan and Australia have met four times in ICC World Cup tournaments- three ODI World Cups and one T20 World Cup. Australia won the first three. Afghanistan won the last.

Tournament	Year	Venue	Winner	Margin
ODI World Cup	2015	Perth	Australia	275 runs
ODI World Cup	2019	Bristol	Australia	7 wickets
ODI World Cup	2023	Mumbai	Australia	3 wickets
T20 World Cup	2024	St. Vincent	Afghanistan	21 runs

Full Match Timeline: Afghanistan vs Australia

Afghanistan and Australia have played 6 international matches between August 2012 and February 2025. The complete match-by-match timeline is listed below. Understanding the complete Afghanistan national cricket team vs Australian men’s cricket team timeline requires looking at every contest in context- not just the result, but the conditions, the margins, and the performances that defined each game.

Date	Venue	Format	Tournament	Winner	Margin
Aug 25, 2012	Sharjah, UAE	ODI	Bilateral	Australia	66 runs
Mar 4, 2015	WACA, Perth	ODI	ODI World Cup	Australia	275 runs
Jun 1, 2019	Bristol, England	ODI	ODI World Cup	Australia	7 wickets
Nov 7, 2023	Wankhede, Mumbai	ODI	ODI World Cup	Australia	3 wickets
Jun 22, 2024	Arnos Vale, St. Vincent	T20I	T20 World Cup	Afghanistan	21 runs
Feb 28, 2025	Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore	ODI	Champions Trophy	No Result	—

Match-by-Match Breakdown

Each match in this rivalry reflects a different stage of Afghanistan’s cricketing development- from first-time opponents in 2012 to genuine tournament threats by 2024.

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August 2012- Sharjah: The First Meeting

Australia won by 66 runs.

Australia posted 272/8 in 50 overs. Michael Clarke top-scored with 75. Afghanistan were bowled out for 206 in 43.5 overs. Mitchell Starc took 4/47 in 9 overs to dismantle Afghanistan’s lower order. Asghar Afghan top-scored for Afghanistan with 66. The match marked Afghanistan’s first ODI against Australia. This bilateral contest in Sharjah gave Afghanistan their first taste of playing a full-member Asian powerhouse away from their home conditions. The 66-run defeat, while a loss, showed competitive intent in the Afghan middle order.

March 2015- WACA, Perth: ODI World Cup

Australia won by 275 runs- the largest margin in this rivalry.

Australia posted 417/6 in 50 overs– a World Cup record at the time. David Warner scored 178 off 133 balls with 19 fours and 5 sixes. Steve Smith added 95 and Glenn Maxwell hit 88 off 39 balls. Afghanistan were bowled out for 142. Mitchell Johnson took 4/22 to lead Australia’s bowling. Afghanistan’s highest scorer was Nawroz Mangal with 33. The WACA in 2015 was among the fastest pitches in world cricket. Australia’s batting lineup at that stage was arguably the most destructive in ODI history. The 275-run margin remains the largest in any match in this timeline and was the widest winning margin in ODI World Cup history at the time.

June 2019- Bristol: ODI World Cup

Australia won by 7 wickets with 91 balls remaining.

Afghanistan scored 207 all out in 38.2 overs. Australia reached 209/3 in 34.5 overs. David Warner top-scored with 89. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi each claimed one wicket. Australia conceded 207 runs in 38.2 overs and chased at 6.03 runs per over. Bristol provided no assistance to Afghanistan’s spin-heavy attack. This was an Australian batting lineup in full control, and Warner’s 89 made the chase look routine from the opening overs.

November 2023- Wankhede, Mumbai: ODI World Cup

Australia won by 3 wickets- the closest match in the rivalry until 2024.

Afghanistan scored 291/5 in 50 overs– their highest-ever total against Australia. Ibrahim Zadran made 129 not out off 143 balls, becoming the first Afghan batter to score a century in an ODI World Cup. Sediqullah Atal scored 92 in the same innings, forming one of Afghanistan’s most productive batting partnerships in major tournament cricket. Both batters set the platform for a total that pushed Australia to their absolute limit. Australia’s chase fell to 91/7- needing 201 more runs with only three wickets remaining. Afghanistan needed one more wicket to record their first-ever win over Australia. Glenn Maxwell, batting at number seven and visibly battling cramps, scored 201 not out off 128 balls– the highest score in an ODI run-chase in history. He shared an unbroken 202-run stand with Pat Cummins (12 off 68) to take Australia to 293/7 in 46.5 overs. Rashid Khan took 2/44 and Josh Hazlewood took 2/39. Maxwell’s innings is widely regarded as one of the greatest in ODI history- a single knock that prevented what would have been the Afghanistan national cricket team’s most significant win in international cricket.

June 2024- St. Vincent: T20 World Cup Super Eights

Afghanistan won by 21 runs- their first-ever victory over Australia.

Afghanistan scored 148/6 in 20 overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz made 60 off 40 balls and Ibrahim Zadran contributed 38 off 30. Australia conceded 148 in 20 overs at 7.40 runs per over. Naveen-ul-Haq dismissed Travis Head for 0 in the first over and removed Mitchell Marsh for 12 in the third over. Australia were 33/3 after 6 overs– their powerplay plan completely disrupted. Glenn Maxwell scored 59 off 35 balls before Gulbadin Naib dismissed him. Naib finished with 4/30 in 4 overs– becoming the first bowler to take a 4-wicket haul in both T20I and ODI World Cup cricket. Naveen-ul-Haq ended at 3/20 in 4 overs. Australia were bowled out for 127. Afghanistan won by 21 runs. This result sits at the heart of the Afghanistan national cricket team vs Australian men’s cricket team timeline– the moment the scoreline finally matched the progress Afghanistan had been making for over a decade.

February 2025- Lahore: ICC Champions Trophy

Match abandoned- No Result.

Afghanistan scored 273 in 50 overs. Sediqullah Atal made 85 off 95 balls and Azmatullah Omarzai added 67. Ben Dwarshuis took 3/47 for Australia. Travis Head reached 59 not out off 40 balls before rain stopped play with Australia at 109/1 after 12.5 overs. The match was abandoned and both teams received 1 point each. Afghanistan’s 273- their second-highest total against Australia- suggested growing batting consistency at the top level. The rain denied a conclusion that could have been one of the most competitive ODIs between these two sides.

Records and Milestones

Glenn Maxwell holds the highest individual score (201*), David Warner has scored the most cumulative ODI runs (309), Mitchell Starc has taken the most ODI wickets (8), and Gulbadin Naib’s 4/30 in 2024 is the best single-match bowling return.

Highest Individual Scores

Score	Player	Country	Match	Year
201*	Glenn Maxwell	Australia	ODI WC, Mumbai	2023
178	David Warner	Australia	ODI WC, Perth	2015
129*	Ibrahim Zadran	Afghanistan	ODI WC, Mumbai	2023
95	Steve Smith	Australia	ODI WC, Perth	2015
92	Sediqullah Atal	Afghanistan	ODI WC, Mumbai	2023
89	David Warner	Australia	ODI WC, Bristol	2019
88	Glenn Maxwell	Australia	ODI WC, Perth	2015
85	Sediqullah Atal	Afghanistan	CT, Lahore	2025
75	Michael Clarke	Australia	ODI, Sharjah	2012
66	Asghar Afghan	Afghanistan	ODI, Sharjah	2012

Best Bowling Figures in a Single Match

Figures	Player	Country	Match	Year
4/22	Mitchell Johnson	Australia	ODI WC, Perth	2015
4/30	Gulbadin Naib	Afghanistan	T20 WC, St. Vincent	2024
4/47	Mitchell Starc	Australia	ODI, Sharjah	2012
3/20	Naveen-ul-Haq	Afghanistan	T20 WC, St. Vincent	2024
3/47	Ben Dwarshuis	Australia	CT, Lahore	2025
2/44	Rashid Khan	Afghanistan	ODI WC, Mumbai	2023
2/39	Josh Hazlewood	Australia	ODI WC, Mumbai	2023

Highest Team Totals

Total	Team	Venue	Year
417/6	Australia	Perth	2015
293/7	Australia	Mumbai	2023
291/5	Afghanistan	Mumbai	2023
273	Afghanistan	Lahore	2025
272/8	Australia	Sharjah	2012

Biggest Win Margins

Margin	Winner	Year	Venue
275 runs	Australia	2015	Perth
7 wickets (91 balls remaining)	Australia	2019	Bristol
66 runs	Australia	2012	Sharjah
3 wickets	Australia	2023	Mumbai
21 runs	Afghanistan	2024	St. Vincent

Venue Record

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Venue	Year	Winner
Sharjah, UAE	2012	Australia
WACA, Perth	2015	Australia
Bristol, England	2019	Australia
Wankhede, Mumbai	2023	Australia
Arnos Vale, St. Vincent	2024	Afghanistan
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore	2025	No Result

Quick Facts

• Total international matches: 6 (5 ODIs, 1 T20I)
• Australia’s win rate in completed matches: 80% (4 wins in 5 decided matches)
• Highest team total: 417/6- Australia, Perth, 2015
• Highest Afghanistan total: 291/5- Wankhede, 2023
• Lowest Australia total: 127 all out- St. Vincent, 2024
• Lowest Afghanistan total: 142 all out- Perth, 2015
• Largest win margin: 275 runs- Australia, Perth, 2015
• Highest individual score: 201*- Glenn Maxwell, Mumbai, 2023
• Most cumulative ODI runs vs Afghanistan: David Warner- 309 runs in 4 innings
• Most ODI wickets vs Afghanistan (Australia): Mitchell Starc- 8 wickets
• Best bowling in a single match: 4/22- Mitchell Johnson, Perth, 2015
• Afghanistan’s first win vs Australia: June 22, 2024- St. Vincent

Key Turning Points Across the Rivalry

Three moments define the arc of this rivalry- Perth 2015 (gap defined), Mumbai 2023 (gap closed), St. Vincent 2024 (gap erased).

2015: How Large the Gap Was

Australia’s 417/6 in Perth– driven by Warner’s 178, Smith’s 95, and Maxwell’s 88- was the clearest expression of how far ahead Australia were at that stage. Mitchell Johnson’s 4/22 left Afghanistan with no route into the game with the ball either. This match remains the peak of Australian dominance in the afghanistan national cricket team vs australian men’s cricket team timeline.

2023: One Wicket Away

Afghanistan’s 291/5 at the Wankhede- built on Zadran’s 129* and Atal’s 92- pushed Australia to the edge. Afghanistan reduced Australia to 91/7 chasing 292 and needed one wicket to win. That wicket never came. Maxwell’s 201* was not just a match-winning innings- it was the difference between a milestone Afghan win and the routine Australian escape. Rashid Khan’s 2/44 and the Afghan bowling attack had done everything asked of them except claim that final wicket.

2024: The Complete Afghan Performance

Afghanistan’s plan in St. Vincent was detailed and executed. Naveen-ul-Haq targeted Travis Head’s technique against pace movement early in the innings– Head was gone for 0. With Australia’s most aggressive starter removed in the first over, their chase plan collapsed. Gulbadin Naib’s 4/30 then removed Maxwell, the one batter capable of an individual rescue. Australia’s 127 all out was their lowest total in this rivalry. This was the turning point that certified Afghanistan as a genuine force in men’s cricket.

What This Rivalry Shows

Australia dominated early meetings, but Afghanistan’s growth in world tournament cricket culminated in their first win against the Australian men’s cricket team in the 2024 T20 World Cup. The 2023 ODI World Cup match- where Afghanistan reduced Australia to 91/7 chasing 292 before Maxwell’s 201* changed the result- reflects how competitive this rivalry had become within a decade. The numbers favour Australia across formats, but the recent trajectory belongs firmly to Afghanistan.

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