Rahmanullah Gurbaz lights up Dharamsala with fastest ODI hundred by Afghanistan batter
India vs Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz lit up the skies of Dharamsala with a lightning-quick hundred. The batter registered the fastest ODI hundred by an Afghan batter in the rain-affected ODI of the 3-match series.
The Dharamsala crowd's four-hour wait through the rain delay on Saturday was probably worth it after Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz produced one of the most breathtaking ODI knocks in recent times.
After rain reduced the match to a 25-over-a-side contest, the Afghan opener smashed a blazing hundred off just 48 balls, the fastest by an Afghanistan batter in ODI history. Gurbaz's innings helped Afghanistan stay in the game after they were reduced to 26/3 inside the first powerplay.
IND vs AFG 1st ODI Live Updates | Scorecard
It was also the second fastest ODI hundred against India, behind only Shahid Afridi's blitzkrieg in 2005, when he reached the milestone in just 45 balls.
Gurbaz's stunning century featured 8 fours and 8 sixes as he took apart every bowler in the Indian attack. While the rest of the batting line-up struggled against the hit-the-deck approach of Arshdeep Singh and debutant Gurnoor Brar, Gurbaz looked in complete control for most of his innings.
The batter was fortunate to survive a loud LBW appeal from Arshdeep in the first powerplay, with the left arm pacer trapping him plumb in front. After the umpire turned it down, India chose not to review, believing there had been an inside edge.
Replays later confirmed that Gurbaz would have been out had captain Shubman Gill opted to go upstairs.
After surviving the early phase, Gurbaz realised there was little value in sitting back against deliveries that were nipping around. Instead, he took the proactive route, charging down the track and launching sixes off the front foot. Anything short disappeared square of the wicket as he repeatedly found gaps behind point.
Gurbaz really shifted gears when Shubman Gill introduced debutant Harsh Dubey in the eighth over. The Afghan opener took 11 off Dubey in an over that yielded 16 runs for Afghanistan. From there, it became a relentless assault that pushed India back despite their three wickets in the opening five overs.
Gurbaz was eventually dismissed by Nitish Kumar Reddy at 102 off 51 balls in the 16th over, after the medium pacer fired in a sequence of yorkers. One finally sneaked through and rattled the stumps.
Gurbaz's hundred placed him second on the list of fastest ODI hundreds against India, behind only Shahid Afridi.
FASTEST ODI HUNDREDS AGAINST INDIA
- Shahid Afridi: 45 balls in 2005
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 48 balls in 2026
- James Faulkner: 57 balls in 2013
- AB de Villiers: 57 balls in 2015
- Michael Bracewell: 57 balls in 2023
THANK YOU, GG SIR: GURBAZ
Speaking in the mid-innings interview, Gurbaz hilariously credited India head coach Gautam Gambhir for the second fastest ODI hundred ever scored against the Men in Blue. Gurbaz said that he had a long and positive conversation with Gautam Gambhir about his shot selection after the one-off Test, and whatever tips Gambhir gave him, really helped him in the opening ODI.
The batter now has 276 runs in 9 matches against India at an average of 27.6.
The Dharamsala crowd's four-hour wait through the rain delay on Saturday was probably worth it after Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz produced one of the most breathtaking ODI knocks in recent times.
After rain reduced the match to a 25-over-a-side contest, the Afghan opener smashed a blazing hundred off just 48 balls, the fastest by an Afghanistan batter in ODI history. Gurbaz's innings helped Afghanistan stay in the game after they were reduced to 26/3 inside the first powerplay.
IND vs AFG 1st ODI Live Updates | Scorecard
It was also the second fastest ODI hundred against India, behind only Shahid Afridi's blitzkrieg in 2005, when he reached the milestone in just 45 balls.
Gurbaz's stunning century featured 8 fours and 8 sixes as he took apart every bowler in the Indian attack. While the rest of the batting line-up struggled against the hit-the-deck approach of Arshdeep Singh and debutant Gurnoor Brar, Gurbaz looked in complete control for most of his innings.
The batter was fortunate to survive a loud LBW appeal from Arshdeep in the first powerplay, with the left arm pacer trapping him plumb in front. After the umpire turned it down, India chose not to review, believing there had been an inside edge.
Replays later confirmed that Gurbaz would have been out had captain Shubman Gill opted to go upstairs.
After surviving the early phase, Gurbaz realised there was little value in sitting back against deliveries that were nipping around. Instead, he took the proactive route, charging down the track and launching sixes off the front foot. Anything short disappeared square of the wicket as he repeatedly found gaps behind point.
Gurbaz really shifted gears when Shubman Gill introduced debutant Harsh Dubey in the eighth over. The Afghan opener took 11 off Dubey in an over that yielded 16 runs for Afghanistan. From there, it became a relentless assault that pushed India back despite their three wickets in the opening five overs.
Gurbaz was eventually dismissed by Nitish Kumar Reddy at 102 off 51 balls in the 16th over, after the medium pacer fired in a sequence of yorkers. One finally sneaked through and rattled the stumps.
Gurbaz's hundred placed him second on the list of fastest ODI hundreds against India, behind only Shahid Afridi.
FASTEST ODI HUNDREDS AGAINST INDIA
- Shahid Afridi: 45 balls in 2005
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 48 balls in 2026
- James Faulkner: 57 balls in 2013
- AB de Villiers: 57 balls in 2015
- Michael Bracewell: 57 balls in 2023
THANK YOU, GG SIR: GURBAZ
Speaking in the mid-innings interview, Gurbaz hilariously credited India head coach Gautam Gambhir for the second fastest ODI hundred ever scored against the Men in Blue. Gurbaz said that he had a long and positive conversation with Gautam Gambhir about his shot selection after the one-off Test, and whatever tips Gambhir gave him, really helped him in the opening ODI.
The batter now has 276 runs in 9 matches against India at an average of 27.6.
