DHARAMSALA: Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz came close to matching Shahid Afridi’s record for the fastest century against India in the ODI series opener at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.
The fixture started after a four-hour and 15-minute delay due to persistent rain, with the match reduced to 25 overs per side.
Put into bat first, Afghanistan lost three early wickets for 26 in 4.3 overs. However, after early wickets, Gurbaz held the innings together, forging 118 runs for the fourth wicket with skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi to lift his side.
Gurbaz smashed a 48-ball century — the fastest by an Afghanistan batter in ODI cricket. The wicket-keeper batter scored 102 off 51 balls, hitting eight sixes and eight boundaries.
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In doing so, he surpassed Mohammad Shahzad’s record of a 72-ball hundred against Scotland in 2010. It was Gurbaz’s ninth ODI century.
Fastest ODI hundreds for Afghanistan
48 – Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs IND, Dharamsala, 2026
72 – Mohammad Shahzad vs SCOT, Alloway, 2010
72 – Karim Sadiq vs NED, Sharjah, 2012
85 – Nawroz Mangal vs SCOT, Sharjah, 2013
85 – Mohammad Shahzad vs IRE, Belfast, 2019
However, Gurbaz fell just short of former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi record for the fastest century against India, set in 45 balls 21 years ago.
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He was eventually dismissed by pacer Nitish Kumar Reddy in the 16th over before the visitors lost their way in the closing overs.
Fastest ODI hundreds vs India
45 – Shahid Afridi (PAK), Kanpur, 2005
48 – Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG), Dharamsala, 2026
57 – James Faulkner (AUS), Bengaluru, 2013
57 – AB de Villiers (SA), Mumbai WS, 2015
57 – Michael Bracewell (NZ), Hyderabad, 2023
Afghanistan were bowled out for 194 in 24.5 overs, with the debutant pair of Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey picking up three wickets each.
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