Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the explosive Afghanistan opener, etched his name into the record books with a blistering 48-ball century against India in a rain-curtailed first ODI of the three-match series at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday, June 13, 2026.
In a match reduced to 25 overs per side, Gurbaz played a breathtaking knock, launching a relentless counterattack against the Indian bowling unit. He brought up his century in just 48 balls, making it the fastest-ever ODI hundred by an Afghanistan batter.
More notably, Gurbaz became only the second batter in ODI history to score a hundred against India in fewer than 50 balls – joining the former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi in an elite club.
The Elite List: Fastest ODI Hundreds Against India
Before Gurbaz’s storm in Dharamshala, the record books were dominated by legendary names like AB de Villiers and Shahid Afridi. Here is the updated list of the quickest hundreds scored against India in ODIs:
Fastest ODI hundreds vs India (by balls faced)
45 – Shahid Afridi (PAK), Kanpur, 2005
48 – Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG), Dharamsala, 2026
57 – James Faulkner (AUS), Bengaluru, 2013
57 – AB de Villiers (SA), Mumbai WS, 2015
57 – Michael Bracewell (NZ), Hyderabad, 2023
How Gurbaz Carnage Unfolded
With early rain cutting the game in half, Afghanistan found themselves in immediate trouble after being put in to bat. Indian pacers Arshdeep Singh and debutant Gurnoor Brar ran through the top order, reducing the visitors to a precarious 26/3.
Recognizing that a 25-over game required T20-style urgency, Gurbaz took complete charge. He targeted India’s spinners, shifting the momentum in the blink of an eye. He smashed debutant spinner Harsh Dubey for 16 runs in his opening over and later tore into Washington Sundar, looting 19 runs in a single over.
Despite visibly struggling with a hamstring issue midway through his innings, Gurbaz refused to slow down. He reached his 9th ODI century off just 48 balls before finally being cleaned up by a perfect Nitish Kumar Reddy yorker for a 51-ball 102. His magnificent lone-warrior knock was decorated with 8 fours and 8 spectacular sixes, carrying Afghanistan to a total of 194.
In reply, India chased down the revised target comfortably for a seven-wicket win courtesy Shubman Gill’s impressive
