Table of Contents
The India vs Afghanistan 2nd ODI match is underway, as the India National Cricket Team won the 1st match of the three-match ODI series by 7 wickets. Shubman Gill, in the first match, stepped up big as he played an unbeaten 84 runs, and in this game, he yet again played an amazing captain’s knock, bringing up his first hundred as a skipper.
Shubman Gill on the day did not open the innings, but came in at No.3 as Yashasvi Jaiswal opened with Rohit Sharma. The former stitched an 87-run partnership with the former India skipper before he was dismissed for 48 runs. Gill then took charge with Ishan Kishan and brought up the hundred in 77 balls.
Shubman Gill hits a brilliant ton
This is his maiden ODI hundred as a captain. He has been criticized as an ODI captain and has not been able to perform as a batter in the 50-over format since taking over the captaincy; however, he silences his critics. He, alongside Kishan, has stitched a partnership of 211 runs off 137 deliveries as the Southpaw has also scored a hundred in just 71 balls.
Shubman Gill has batted at the No.3 position during the U-19 days, but he has always opened the innings while making his senior debut. He has been a sensational opener for India in recent years, and this century at No.3 is the first one in his senior days. He struck 12 boundaries and 2 sixes in the innings.
Gill join hands with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
Shubman Gill, after the hundred, joined the elite list of scoring the ODI 100s vs Afghanistan by balls, as he smacked in 77 balls, which is the fifth fastest, as Eoin Morgan smacked in 57 balls. It is the third fastest as an Indian with Rohit Sharma doing so in 63 balls in the 2023 ODI World Cup, and today Ishan Kishan smacked it in 71 balls.
He also smacked the fifth fastest century as India captain in ODI cricket by balls. Gill is currently
130 off 92 balls, and Kishan is batting at 113 off 76 deliveries. India is looking for a massive total at the Ekana Stadium, Lucknow, and will put pressure on the Afghan batters while they come out to chase.
Fastest ODI 100s by Indian captains (by balls)
63 Rohit Sharma vs Afg Delhi 2023
69 Virender Sehwag vs WI Indore 2011
76 Virat Kohli vs SL Colombo RPS 2017
76 Rohit Sharma vs Eng Cuttack 2025
77 Shubman Gill vs Afg Lucknow 2026 *
Fastest ODI 100s vs Afghanistan (by balls)
57 Eoin Morgan Manchester 2019
63 Rohit Sharma Delhi 2023
71 Ishan Kishan Lucknow 2026 *
76 Glenn Maxwell Mumbai WS 2023
77 Shubman Gill Lucknow 2026 *
India eyes a massive total
The Men in Blue are already crossed the 300-run mark with just 14 overs of the first innings to be played. The two batters will surely look to go past at least 370 runs with big batting to come in the form of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, who can excellently finish the innings.
This will be the first series win for Shubman Gill as a captain if he wins this match since taking over the ODI captaincy. The Afghan bowlers have been in real trouble, and their lack of consistency have let the runs flow easily.
