India defeated Afghanistan by seven wickets in the opening One-Day International of their bilateral series on Saturday, overcoming a century from Rahmanullah Gurbaz to take a 1-0 lead.
Afghanistan was bowled out for 194 in 24.5 overs after Gurbaz produced a dazzling innings of 102 from just 51 balls, striking eight fours and eight sixes. It was the wicketkeeper-batsman’s ninth ODI century and his first against India.
Gurbaz’s innings accounted for more than half of Afghanistan’s total and helped rescue the visitors after a middle-order collapse. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi contributed 27 runs, while Azmatullah Omarzai added 26.
The match also marked a pair of personal milestones for Afghanistan’s top-order batsman. Gurbaz became only the second Afghan cricketer after Mohammad Nabi to hit 200 sixes in international cricket, while Shahidi surpassed 2,500 runs in One-Day Internationals.
Despite those achievements, Afghanistan’s total proved insufficient against a strong Indian batting lineup.
India reached 195 for 3 in 22.5 overs, sealing victory with more than two overs to spare.
Afghanistan’s bowlers made early breakthroughs through Rashid Khan, who dismissed Ishan Kishan for 34, and debutant Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, who claimed his first ODI wicket when Shreyas Iyer was caught at mid-on.
Sharifi, a right-arm fast bowler, became the 66th player to represent Afghanistan in ODI cricket. His wicket was one of the few bright spots for Afghanistan during India’s chase.
The defeat leaves Afghanistan trailing 1-0 in the series, despite a memorable day for Gurbaz, whose explosive century briefly put the visitors in a competitive position.
Afghanistan will now look to level the series in the second ODI after India capitalized on a dominant batting performance to take the early advantage.
