Shillong: Captain Shubman Gill powered India to a seven-wicket victory against Afghanistan in a rain-hit ODI opener in Dharamsala. The match was reduced to 25 overs per side due to persistent rain, serving as the start of India's road to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
India chose to field first and dismissed Afghanistan for 194 runs. Debutants Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey were standout performers, each claiming three wickets. Brar, who stands 6 feet 5 inches tall, impressed with his pace by consistently clocking over 145kmph. Despite the Indian bowling effort, Rahmanullah Gurbaz played a high-quality innings, scoring 102 off just 51 balls. Gurbaz attributed his aggressive mindset to advice from rival coach Gautam Gambhir, stating, "Gurbaz, a proven performer in T20 cricket, came out to bat in the shortened game with a clear mindset, something he attributed to rival coach Gautam Gambhir’s tips after the one-off Test in Mullanpur."
Chasing the target, Gill remained unbeaten on 84 off 66 balls to lead his side to victory in 22.5 overs. While Rohit Sharma was run out for 16, Ishan Kishan contributed 34 runs before falling to a Rashid Khan googly. KL Rahul finished the game with an unbeaten 39, helping the hosts comfortably overcome the target as the recently installed subair drainage system ensured the match concluded quickly after the rain delay.
Comments