Rahmanullah Gurbaz Hits 48-Ball ODI Century, Falls Short Of Afridi's Record
Gurbaz's rapid hundred rewrites history, misses record narrowly.
Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz produced a sensational display of power-hitting in the opening ODI against India, smashing a century off just 48 deliveries to record the fastest hundred by an Afghanistan batter in One-Day International cricket. The wicketkeeper-batter dominated the innings from the outset, helping Afghanistan maintain momentum despite losing early wickets in a rain-shortened contest.
With the match reduced to 25 overs per side, Gurbaz immediately adapted to the demands of the game, adopting an aggressive approach that resembled a T20 innings. He attacked India's bowling attack with confidence, regularly finding the boundary and ensuring the scoring rate remained high throughout his stay at the crease. By the time he reached his century, Afghanistan had surged to 135/3 in just 14.4 overs.
The right-handed batter continued his assault even after appearing to experience discomfort due to a hamstring issue during the innings. Despite the physical challenge, Gurbaz showed remarkable determination and refused to slow down, keeping the pressure firmly on the Indian bowlers as Afghanistan sought to post a competitive total.
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One of the most decisive passages of play came in the 12th over when Gurbaz targeted spinner Washington Sundar. The Afghanistan opener collected 19 runs from the over through a combination of boundaries and maximums, further accelerating the scoring rate and bringing his landmark century within touching distance.
The hundred carried added significance as it rewrote Afghanistan's record books. Gurbaz surpassed the previous mark for the fastest ODI century by an Afghanistan batter, setting a new national benchmark with his 48-ball effort. The knock placed him ahead of several prominent names in Afghanistan cricket and underlined his status as one of the team's most explosive white-ball players.
Although Gurbaz narrowly missed out on challenging the all-time world record for the fastest ODI century, his innings will be remembered as one of the finest individual performances by an Afghanistan batter in the format. The record-breaking knock highlighted both his attacking ability and his growing importance to Afghanistan's batting lineup on the international stage.
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