Rahmanullah Gurbaz surpasses Kohli, Tendulkar with eighth ODI century
Afghanistan's wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz has etched his name in cricket history by becoming the second-youngest player to score eight One Day International (ODI) centuries. The 22-year-old accomplished the milestone in a match against Bangladesh on Monday. His effort helped Afghanistan clinch a five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the third and final ODI of the series in Sharjah. Here are further details.
Gurbaz's record-breaking performance
Gurbaz's 101 off 120 balls guided his team to victory. As per ESPNcricinfo, he completed his eighth hundred at 22 years and 357 days, beating Indian cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. Tendulkar had achieved the milestone at 22 years and 312 days while Kohli was at 23 years and 27 days. The youngest to score eight ODI centuries remains South Africa's Quinton de Kock, who achieved the feat at 22 years and 212 days.
Gurbaz leads Afghanistan's ODI century scorers
Gurbaz also owns the record for the most centuries for Afghanistan in ODIs, going past Mohammad Shahzad who has six to his name. The century he scored on Monday was his third against Bangladesh and also his third in Sharjah in the 50-over format. This was Gurbaz's third ODI century of 2024 and eighth overall, making him Afghanistan's leading century scorer in this format.
Gurbaz's contribution to Afghanistan's victory
Despite an early hiccup at 81 for 3, Gurbaz's brilliance turned the tables for Afghanistan. He got ample support from Azmatullah Omarzai who scored an unbeaten 70. After Gurbaz's wicket, seasoned all-rounder Mohammad Nabi (34) took charge and guided the team to a comfortable win with five wickets and 10 balls to spare. This was Afghanistan's third consecutive series win under captain Hashmatullah Shahidi after victories against South Africa and Ireland.
