Afghanistan vs Bangladesh: Rahmanullah Gurbaz Breaks Tendulkar’s Record with a Stunning Century
Afghan star Rahmanullah Gurbaz has surpassed Sachin Tendulkar, becoming the second-youngest to reach eight ODI centuries at 22 years, and 349 days. Scoring 101 off 120 balls, Gurbaz’s performance, with Azmatullah Omarzai’s 70, led Afghanistan to a five-wicket win and a 2-1 series victory over Bangladesh.
In this record-breaking century, Gurbaz surpassed Afghanistan’s previous record for ODI centuries, overtaking Mohammad Shahzad’s six. This was his third century against Bangladesh and third in Sharjah, where his resilient innings helped Afghanistan recover from a shaky start to chase down 245 in the 49th over.
Gurbaz’s rise was a sort of fairytale. He debuted in List A at mere 15, represented Afghanistan in the Under-19 World Cup, and became the national team’s preferred T20 opener after a standout debut in 2019. With his batting showcase, he developed his keeping fundamentals to great highs. In 2021, he became the first Afghan batter to score an ODI century on debut, forming a solid opening partnership with Ibrahim Zadran.
His career milestones include ODI scores of 145 and 151 against Bangladesh and Pakistan in 2023, a T20I century against the UAE, and leading Afghanistan’s run to the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-finals as the top scorer. An international sensation, Gurbaz has also found success in leagues like the IPL and PSL, emerging as one of the brightest young talents in world cricket. In the IPL he got the attention of one of the most successful franchises KKR, showing some great faith in him.
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