The lush, mountain-fringed pitch at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala witnessed an innings that left India's bowlers shell-shocked. In the first ODI between India and Afghanistan, visiting opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz launched such a brutal assault that the record books had to be rewritten. Reaching three figures off just 48 balls, he not only notched the ninth ODI hundred of his career but also claimed the fastest ODI century in Afghanistan's cricketing history.
Aggressive Intent From the First Ball
Gurbaz walked out with attack on his mind from the very start. He gave India's pace bowlers no time to settle. While the surface was expected to offer the bowlers some help in the opening overs, Gurbaz dismantled that notion with fearless strokeplay. His shots rang out to every corner of the ground, and the boundaries flowed in a relentless stream.
102 Runs Off 51 Balls at a Strike Rate of 200
During this explosive knock, Gurbaz faced a total of 51 balls and piled up 102 runs at a strike rate of 200.00. The most striking detail was that 64 of those 102 runs came from boundaries alone — and off only 16 balls. He struck 8 fours and 8 sixes in all, with that boundary barrage keeping India firmly on the back foot. India's all-rounder Nitish Reddy eventually ended the storm by bowling him, but by then Gurbaz had already done the damage.
A 16-Year-Old Afghan Record Falls
With this innings, Gurbaz wiped out a record that had stood for 16 years. Until now, the fastest ODI century for Afghanistan belonged to wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad, who reached a hundred in 72 balls against Scotland at Aloa in 2010. Karim Sadiq matched that mark, scoring his century off the same 72 balls against the Netherlands at Sharjah in 2012. Gurbaz left both far behind by getting there in just 48 balls. The list of Afghanistan's quick ODI hundreds also includes Navroz Mangal's effort against Scotland in 2013 and Mohammad Shahzad's against Ireland in 2019, both off 85 balls — but Gurbaz's knock redefined the meaning of speed.
Second Only to Afridi Against India
The feat carries extra weight because it came against a side as strong as India, and on Indian soil. Gurbaz now sits second on the list of fastest ODI centuries against India. The all-time record there belongs to former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, who blazed a hundred off just 45 balls at Kanpur in 2005. With his 48-ball effort, Gurbaz now slots in right behind Afridi.
In doing so, he outpaced several greats of the game. Australia's James Faulkner made a 57-ball century against India at Bengaluru in 2013, South Africa's AB de Villiers reached a hundred in 57 balls at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium in 2015, and New Zealand's Michael Bracewell got there in 57 balls at Hyderabad in 2023. Gurbaz eclipsed them all with his 48-ball ton, stunning the cricketing world.
Afghanistan's Leading Century-Maker
This was the ninth ODI hundred of Gurbaz's career, and it further strengthened his standing as Afghanistan's most prolific ODI centurion. At just 24 years of age, he now has 9 ODI hundreds to his name. Ibrahim Zadran and Mohammad Shahzad sit jointly in second place, each with 6 ODI centuries. Given the manner in which Gurbaz is batting, it would be no surprise to see him topple many more records in the years ahead. This Dharamshala knock will always rank among the most memorable innings of his career.
