AFG vs IRE, 2021: 1st ODI – Rahmanullah Gurbaz's record ton on debut, Rashid Khan's all-round show and more stats

Afghanistan, playing their first ODI game in 14 months, secured a 14-run win against Ireland in the first game of the 5-match ODI series. Debutant Rahmanullah Gurbaz took on the Irish bowlers with big sixes as he raced to a 38-ball fifty and eventually got run-a-ball 127 with 8 fours and 9 sixes. Afghanistan’s middle order struggled to stand alongside Gurbaz after a century opening stand. However, Rashid Khan’s 30-ball 55 towards the end boosted their total to 287/9. Ireland’s chase didn’t earn momentum as they kept losing wickets and ended up with 271/9 in their 50 overs.

Here are all the statistical highlights from Afghanistan’s victory during the first ODI against Ireland:

Gurbaz’s big knock on debut:

127 – Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 127-run knock is now the 2nd highest individual score by any player on an ODI debut. The highest is recorded by Desmond Haynes who made 148 against Australia in the 1978 Antigua ODI.

Gurbaz scored 86 runs through boundaries with help of 8 fours and 9 sixes which are also the most by any player on debut surpassing the 76 runs by Haynes (16 fours and 2 sixes).

127 – Rahmanullah’s 127 is now the highest individual score by a wicketkeeper on ODI debut surpassing Andy Flower’s 115* against Sri Lanka during the 1992 World Cup game.

This is also the 3rd highest individual score by any player for Afghanistan only behind Mohammad Shahzad’s 131* in the 2015 Sharjah ODI against Zimbabwe and Nawroz Mangal’s 129 against UAE in the 2014 Dubai ODI.

Record hundred from Gurbaz:

1 – Rahmanullah Gurbaz became the first player from Afghanistan to smash a hundred on ODI debut. The previous highest score on ODI debut for Afghanistan was 70 by Usman Ghani against Hong Kong in 2014 Kuala Lumpur.

1 – Rahmanullah, with his hundred on Thursday, became the first 21st century born cricketer to smash a century in Men’s International cricket. He is overall the 2nd player born in the 21st century to score a ton in International cricket as Prosscovia Alako smashed a T20I hundred for Uganda Women against Mali Women in 2019.

2 – Gurbaz effected two stumpings during the Ireland innings which are the joint-most by any player on ODI debut. Mahes Goonatilleke (v ENG in 1982 Colombo-SSC), Adam Parore (v ZIM in 1992 Bulawayo) Humayun Farhat (v SL in 2001 Sharjah) and James Foster (v ZIM in 2001 Harare) are the other instances of debutants effecting two stumpings.

A game of sixes for Gurbaz:

9 – Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s nine sixes are now the most by any player on ODI debut. The previous most number of sixes hit on ODI debut by any player was 5 sixes by Navjot Singh Sidhu in the 1987 CWC group match against Australia.

9 – The nine sixes by Gurbaz are also the most in an ODI inning for Afghanistan surpassing Mohammad Shahzad’s 8 maximums during his 131* in the 2015 Sharjah ODI against Zimbabwe.

Rashid’s all-round show:

1 – Rashid Khan became the first Afghanistan player to score 50+ runs, pick 2+ wickets and claim 2+ catches in the same ODI game. On Thursday, Rashid scored 55 runs in only 30 balls and later took two wickets and two catches.

27 – Rashid Khan brought up his fifty in only 27 balls which is now the fastest known fifty in ODI format for Afghanistan. Mohammad Nabi against Zimbabwe in 2014 and Shafiqullah Shafaq against Ireland in 2017 got fifties in 28 balls apiece.

Afghans hit more sixes than fours:

3 – Afghanistan hit three sixes (17 sixes) more than the number of fours (14 fours) they hit during the first ODI. This is only the 4th instance of a team having a difference as big as three between the sixes and fours they hit in an ODI game.

Hong Kong hit 13 sixes and 7 fours in the 2015 Dubai ODI against UAE while England hit 21 fours and 25 sixes during the CWC19 game against Afghanistan. The Indian team also had a difference of four when they hit only one four but five maximums during the 1996 Toronto ODI against Pakistan.