Move over Sachin Tendulkar! A cricket sensation from Afghanistan has broken his records. On Monday, Afghan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz delivered an outstanding performance, scoring a brilliant century to become the second-youngest cricketer to achieve eight centuries in men’s one-day international (ODI) cricket. His century, combined with a brisk 77-ball 70 by Azmatullah Omarzai, propelled Afghanistan to a five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the third ODI held in Sharjah.
This win secured a 2-1 series triumph over the Bangladeshi team, known as the Tigers. Gurbaz scored 101 runs off 120 balls, reaching his eighth ODI century at the age of 22 years and 349 days.
For comparison, Tendulkar was 22 years and 357 days when he reached his eighth ODI century, while Virat Kohli did so at 23 years and 27 days. Pakistan’s Babar Azam achieved this milestone at 23 years and 280 days, and South Africa's Quinton de Kock leads the list, having scored his eighth century at 22 years and 312 days. Gurbaz now holds the record for the most ODI centuries for Afghanistan, surpassing Mohammad Shahzad, who has six.
This century marked Gurbaz's third against Bangladesh and his third in Sharjah. Chasing a target of 245 runs to win the series, Gurbaz and Omarzai guided Afghanistan to victory in the 49th over. Gurbaz's resilient innings helped Afghanistan recover from an early collapse of their top order, enabling them to chase down the target and secure a 2-1 series win.
On the Bangladesh side, Mahmudullah was the top scorer with a determined 98 runs off 98 balls, while stand-in captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz added a steady 66 runs from 119 balls. Mehidy stepped in as captain for the series decider after regular skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was sidelined due to a groin injury.
Who Is Rahmanullah Gurbaz?
Hailing from Afghanistan, Gurbaz is a seasoned wicketkeeper batter. Demonstrating remarkable talent early on, Rahmanullah Gurbaz made his List A debut in 2017 at just 15 years old, playing for Afghanistan A against Zimbabwe A shortly before appearing in his first T20 match in the Shpageeza T20 League. The following year, he stepped up to First Class cricket, debuting for the Mis Ainak region, and was selected for Afghanistan’s squad in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. Later in 2018, he emerged as Afghanistan’s leading scorer at the Under-19 Asia Cup.
In September 2019, Gurbaz debuted in T20 internationals, facing Zimbabwe during a tri-series in Bangladesh. He made a powerful entrance, scoring 43 runs off 24 balls in his first match and reaching his first half-century two games later. This quick success established him as Afghanistan’s preferred opener in T20s.
By 2021, Gurbaz had earned his first ODI call-up for a series against Ireland, where he became the first Afghan batter to score a century on debut. He quickly cemented his place in the ODI lineup, forming a formidable opening partnership with Ibrahim Zadran.
The year 2023 was especially significant for Gurbaz, who scored 145 and 151 in ODIs against Bangladesh and Pakistan within a two-month span, followed by his first T20I century against the UAE in December.
Gurbaz’s contributions were pivotal in the 2024 T20 World Cup, where he finished as the tournament’s top run scorer and helped Afghanistan reach the semi-finals for the first time in their history.
His rising reputation also made him a sought-after player in T20 franchise leagues worldwide. Gurbaz has competed in the BPL, LPL, CPL, PSL, ILT20, and the IPL, where he celebrated two championship wins with different franchises.
This win secured a 2-1 series triumph over the Bangladeshi team, known as the Tigers. Gurbaz scored 101 runs off 120 balls, reaching his eighth ODI century at the age of 22 years and 349 days.
For comparison, Tendulkar was 22 years and 357 days when he reached his eighth ODI century, while Virat Kohli did so at 23 years and 27 days. Pakistan’s Babar Azam achieved this milestone at 23 years and 280 days, and South Africa's Quinton de Kock leads the list, having scored his eighth century at 22 years and 312 days. Gurbaz now holds the record for the most ODI centuries for Afghanistan, surpassing Mohammad Shahzad, who has six.
This century marked Gurbaz's third against Bangladesh and his third in Sharjah. Chasing a target of 245 runs to win the series, Gurbaz and Omarzai guided Afghanistan to victory in the 49th over. Gurbaz's resilient innings helped Afghanistan recover from an early collapse of their top order, enabling them to chase down the target and secure a 2-1 series win.
On the Bangladesh side, Mahmudullah was the top scorer with a determined 98 runs off 98 balls, while stand-in captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz added a steady 66 runs from 119 balls. Mehidy stepped in as captain for the series decider after regular skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was sidelined due to a groin injury.
Who Is Rahmanullah Gurbaz?
Hailing from Afghanistan, Gurbaz is a seasoned wicketkeeper batter. Demonstrating remarkable talent early on, Rahmanullah Gurbaz made his List A debut in 2017 at just 15 years old, playing for Afghanistan A against Zimbabwe A shortly before appearing in his first T20 match in the Shpageeza T20 League. The following year, he stepped up to First Class cricket, debuting for the Mis Ainak region, and was selected for Afghanistan’s squad in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. Later in 2018, he emerged as Afghanistan’s leading scorer at the Under-19 Asia Cup.
In September 2019, Gurbaz debuted in T20 internationals, facing Zimbabwe during a tri-series in Bangladesh. He made a powerful entrance, scoring 43 runs off 24 balls in his first match and reaching his first half-century two games later. This quick success established him as Afghanistan’s preferred opener in T20s.
By 2021, Gurbaz had earned his first ODI call-up for a series against Ireland, where he became the first Afghan batter to score a century on debut. He quickly cemented his place in the ODI lineup, forming a formidable opening partnership with Ibrahim Zadran.
The year 2023 was especially significant for Gurbaz, who scored 145 and 151 in ODIs against Bangladesh and Pakistan within a two-month span, followed by his first T20I century against the UAE in December.
Gurbaz’s contributions were pivotal in the 2024 T20 World Cup, where he finished as the tournament’s top run scorer and helped Afghanistan reach the semi-finals for the first time in their history.
His rising reputation also made him a sought-after player in T20 franchise leagues worldwide. Gurbaz has competed in the BPL, LPL, CPL, PSL, ILT20, and the IPL, where he celebrated two championship wins with different franchises.
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