A rare and dramatic moment stole the spotlight during the third and final ODI between India and Afghanistan in Chennai on Saturday, June 20. In a strange twist, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi ended up costing his side valuable runs after a pitch violation triggered a five-run penalty and erased a run from the scoreboard.

India had already sealed the three-match ODI series with wins in Dharamsala and Lucknow, but Afghanistan were still fighting hard to avoid a whitewash in Chennai. Shahidi, who led from the front with great discipline and composure, did everything he could to keep his team alive in the contest, even as wickets kept tumbling around him.

The unusual incident took place in the 40th over of Afghanistan’s innings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Shahidi took a single off the last ball of the over, and the expectation was that he would retain strike for the next over. However, when play resumed, Rashid Khan was at the striker’s end instead. That immediately raised eyebrows, and the reason soon became clear: Shahidi had once again run on the protected area of the pitch.

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The umpires had already warned the Afghanistan captain earlier in the innings, but after he repeated the offence, they were left with no choice but to act under the playing conditions. As a result, the single from the final ball of the over was deducted, and Afghanistan were also handed a five-run penalty. It was a costly moment for the visitors, especially in a game where every run mattered.

🚨 Afghanistan were docked five penalty runs after captain Hashmatullah Shahidi repeatedly ran on the protected area of the pitch despite multiple warnings from the on-field umpires.

A costly lapse in concentration, especially in a closely contested game where every run matters.… pic.twitter.com/GhFnLfklRO

— Third Umpire (@ChaosMidWicket) June 20, 2026

Even so, Shahidi’s innings remained one of the most courageous knocks of his career. Battling a top-quality Indian attack, extreme Chennai heat and painful cramps, he finally brought up his maiden ODI century after more than 10 years in international cricket. The Afghanistan skipper reached the milestone with a boundary and celebrated emotionally by removing his helmet, while his teammates applauded from the balcony.

Shahidi showed remarkable patience and resilience throughout the innings. With wickets falling regularly at the other end, he held the innings together and played the anchor role perfectly to guide Afghanistan to 218 runs. His century came off 126 balls, making it the second slowest hundred by an Afghanistan batter in ODI cricket. It was also an unusual record, as he reached his first ODI ton 4,644 days after making his debut, the fourth-longest wait for a maiden century in ODI history.

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Shahidi’s body began to break down as cramps hit him hard in the Chennai heat. The physio had to rush out while he struggled visibly with discomfort, but the Afghanistan captain still battled on with impressive determination. His valiant knock eventually ended when Prasidh Krishna dismissed him for 102 off 131 balls, including 13 boundaries and one six, with Shreyas Iyer taking the catch in the deep.