India began their historic first bilateral ODI series against Afghanistan with a seven-wicket victory in a rain-shortened contest at Dharamsala. While Rahmanullah Gurbaz produced a stunning century for the visitors, Shubman Gill’s composed unbeaten 84 ensured India chased down the target comfortably to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Reduced to 25 overs per side after persistent rain delayed the start by more than four hours, the match delivered plenty of entertainment, highlighted by Gurbaz’s explosive batting and impressive debuts from Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar.
Gurbaz Lights Up Dharamsala
Afghanistan’s innings revolved almost entirely around Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who played one of the finest knocks of his ODI career.
The wicketkeeper-batter smashed 102 from just 51 deliveries, registering the fastest ODI century by an Afghanistan batter and his ninth hundred in the format. His innings included a series of powerful strokes all around the ground and single-handedly kept Afghanistan competitive after a disastrous start.
India’s new-ball bowlers had reduced Afghanistan to 26/3 inside five overs. Gurnoor Brar struck on his ODI debut by dismissing Ibrahim Zadran, while Arshdeep Singh removed both Sediqullah Atal and Rahmat Shah to leave the visitors in serious trouble.
More Read
Gurbaz responded brilliantly, dominating a fourth-wicket partnership of 116 with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi. The aggressive opener reached his fifty from only 25 balls before accelerating further against both pace and spin.
By the 15th over, Afghanistan appeared set for a total well beyond 220. However, India’s bowlers fought back strongly.
Debutants Make Their Mark
The turning point arrived when Nitish Kumar Reddy shattered Gurbaz’s stumps in the 16th over.
That breakthrough triggered a collapse as Afghanistan lost momentum rapidly. Debutant Harsh Dubey then claimed his maiden international wicket by dismissing Shahidi before adding the key scalp of Azmatullah Omarzai.
Gurnoor Brar returned at the death to finish with impressive figures of 3/27, while Dubey matched him with 3/47 in an encouraging debut performance.
Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy picked up two wickets each as Afghanistan were bowled out for 194 in 24.5 overs after losing their final seven wickets for just 68 runs.
Gill Anchors India’s Chase
India’s pursuit started in unusual fashion, with Azmatullah Omarzai conceding seven runs before delivering a legal ball.
Rohit Sharma looked positive despite being struck on the glove early in the innings. The captain hit a six and a boundary before a mix-up with Gill resulted in a run-out for 16.
The dismissal did little to slow India’s progress as Gill settled into a fluent rhythm. The opener played with authority throughout the chase, timing the ball beautifully and ensuring the required rate never became a concern.
More Read
Alongside Ishan Kishan, who scored an attacking 34 from 22 balls in his first ODI appearance since 2023, Gill added 70 runs for the second wicket.
The Indian skipper reached his half-century from just 37 deliveries and also became the second-fastest batter in ODI history to reach 3,000 runs.
Rahul Provides the Finishing Touch
After Kishan fell to a Rashid Khan googly and Shreyas Iyer made a brief contribution, KL Rahul arrived to finish the job in style.
Rahul immediately increased the tempo with a series of aggressive strokes, including a six and three boundaries in one over against Ziaur Rahman.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 39 from only 19 deliveries as he and Gill shared an unbroken partnership worth 53 runs.
Gill finished undefeated on 84 from 66 balls, guiding India to 195/3 in 22.5 overs and sealing victory with more than two overs to spare.
India Build Momentum for the Future
While Gurbaz’s spectacular century was the standout individual performance of the match, India is pleased with the contributions from their younger players. Debutants Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey seized their opportunities with the ball, while Gill once again demonstrated why he is expected to lead India’s batting into the next World Cup cycle.
With a 1-0 lead secured, India now move into the second ODI on June 17 with confidence, while Afghanistan will look to build on Gurbaz’s brilliance and find greater support from the rest of their batting lineup.
