Rahmanullah Gurbaz produced a stunning ODI innings for Afghanistan in the first ODI against India at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on June 13. The Afghanistan opener took charge from the start and put the Indian bowling attack under serious pressure after India chose to field first.
With wickets falling at the other end, Gurbaz kept the scoreboard moving with authority and intent. He blended clean timing with raw power, punishing anything short, full or slightly off line. His fearless approach turned the innings into one of the most destructive knocks of his career and gave Afghanistan a strong platform in the first half of the match.
Gurbaz raced to his hundred in just 48 balls, bringing up the fastest ODI century by an Afghanistan batter. It was also the second-fastest ODI hundred ever scored against India, underlining just how quickly he changed the course of the contest. The wicketkeeper-batter finished with 102 off 51 balls, striking eight fours and eight sixes at a remarkable strike rate of 200.00.
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The hundred was Gurbaz’s ninth in ODI cricket, strengthening his status as Afghanistan’s most prolific centurion in the format. Ibrahim Zadran and Mohammad Shahzad are next on the list with six ODI centuries each, which shows how far Gurbaz has pulled ahead in the race for Afghanistan’s batting records.
Nitish Kumar Reddy is giving tough competition to Hardik Pandya.
Nitish Kumar Reddy cleaned up Gurbaz with his yorker. pic.twitter.com/DjoAreHtlq— Rajat Patidar fc (@patidarverse) June 13, 2026
His innings also improved an already impressive conversion rate in ODIs. Among batters with at least seven ODI hundreds, Gurbaz now boasts a conversion rate of 56.25% from fifties to hundreds, which is the best in the history of the format. That statistic reflects not only his attacking mindset but also his ability to turn starts into match-defining scores.
India knew they needed a breakthrough quickly, and captain Shubman Gill turned to Nitish Kumar Reddy at a crucial moment. The all-rounder delivered almost immediately with a brilliant inswinging yorker on the third ball of the 16th over. Bowled at 134 kph, the delivery struck the base of middle stump and left Gurbaz with no room to respond.
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Trying to work it towards mid-on, Gurbaz opened up and bent low, but the ball slipped under the bat and crashed into the stumps. The dismissal ended a breathtaking innings and brought huge relief to the Indian camp.
By the time Gurbaz departed, Afghanistan were 142/4, and the wicket marked the end of a dominant, high-impact knock that had kept his team firmly in control for much of the innings.
