Afghanistan opening pair Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran had a day to remember against Bangladesh, each making hundreds to put their side within sight of a historic series victory.
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The pair put on 256 for the first wicket, with Gurbaz dominating the strike and the scoring to make 145 off 125 balls, with 13 fours and eight sixes. Zadran was more contained, happy to play the supporting role, but still emerged with a healthy strike rate. He ended with an even 100 off 119 balls, with the pair the only two batters in the innings to make more than 25.
Afghanistan posted 331-9, aiming for their first ODI series win over Bangladesh after a DLS victory in the first ODI. The first-wicket stand was Afghanistan’s highest for any wicket in ODIs, and briefly threatened to end up near the top of the opening partnership list for all countries. Had they put on three more runs, they would have snuck into the top ten. Notably, the partnership matched England’s highest men’s ODI stand, put on by Alex Hales and Jason Roy against Sri Lanka in 2016.
Gurbaz and Zadran’s milestones were also notable on an individual level. Each is 21 years old, and for each it was a fourth ODI hundred. They sit joint third on the list of most ODI hundreds before turning 22. South Africa’s Quinton de Kock and Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga each made six hundreds before their respective 22nd birthdays, while the Afghan pair share third with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Meg Lanning and Stafanie Taylor.
Gurbaz’s score was Afghanistan’s second highest in ODIs; top of the list is Zadran, who made 162 against Sri Lanka in 2022. Zadran has played just 13 ODIs, and has enjoyed a stunning start to his career. He now has 748 runs at an average of 68. Only one player in history – South Africa’s Janneman Malan – has made more runs in their first 13 innings (759).
For Afghanistan, an ODI series win would be a notable scalp. The only Full Members they have claimed series wins over in the format are Ireland and Zimbabwe, which would make Bangladesh their most significant scalp so far.
