India defeated Afghanistan by seven wickets in a rain-reduced 25-over opener in Dharamsala, taking a 1-0 lead in the series
Rahmanullah Gurbaz smashed a 51-ball 102 to power Afghanistan to 194, but India’s debutants Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar took three wickets each to trigger a collapse
Shubman Gill (84*) and KL Rahul (39*) guided a smooth chase, after an early Rohit Sharma run-out, sealing victory with 22.5 overs completed; Gill was named Player of the Match
India defeated Afghanistan by seven wickets in a rain-curtailed opening ODI in Dharamsala, wrapping up a 25-over chase with ease after a dominant all-round display led by Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 84.
Afghanistan had earlier posted 194 in 24.5 overs, powered almost entirely by a breathtaking century from Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
The match was delayed by over four hours due to persistent rain before being reduced to a 25-overs-per-side contest.
Once play began, Afghanistan were rocked early, slipping to 26 for 3 as debutants Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey made instant impact alongside Arshdeep Singh, who also struck twice. However, Gurbaz flipped the momentum with a stunning counterattack.
Gurbaz produced a blistering 102 off 51 balls, the fastest ODI century by an Afghanistan batter, smashing 8 fours and 8 sixes. He shared a crucial 116-run stand with Hashmatullah Shahidi, briefly putting Afghanistan on course for a 220-plus total.
But once he fell in the 16th over, the innings unraveled quickly as India’s debutants and Nitish Kumar Reddy cleaned up the lower order, with Dubey and Brar finishing with three wickets each.
India’s reply began with early chaos as Rohit Sharma was run out for 16 in a mix-up with Gill, but that proved to be a brief interruption. Gill anchored the chase with composure and timing, bringing up a fluent half-century and forming key partnerships, first with Ishan Kishan (34 off 22) and later with KL Rahul.
Rahul then finished the job in style, striking an unbeaten 39 off 19 balls, including a late assault that sealed the chase with 1.1 overs to spare. Gill remained unbeaten on 84 off 66 balls, becoming the second-fastest player to reach 3000 ODI runs in the process, as India cruised to 195 for 3 in 22.5 overs.
With that, India took a 1-0 lead in the series, with Gill named Player of the Match for his composed unbeaten 84 that anchored the chase from start to finish.
