Afghanistan vs Pakistan 2023: Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s Unforgettable Knock

Rahmanullah Gurbaz Century. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Rahmanullah Gurbaz went berserk against the likes of Pakistan bowlers in the second ODI in Hambantota, as he registered his best ODI score to help Afghanistan post a total of 300 in 50 overs. Gurbaz along with his opening partner, Ibrahim Zadran, accounted for the second-highest opening partnership of 227 against Pakistan. His magnificent knock of 151 included 14 fours and three maximums, respectively.

Moreover, Gurbaz also became the first and only wicket-keeper batter to score a 150 against Pakistan. Ibrahim Zadran played an ideal foil in the opening stand as he registered 80 runs before Usama Mir provided the first breakthrough for Pakistan at the close of 40 overs. Cameos from Mohammad Nabi (29 off 29) and Hashmatullah Shahidi(15 off 11) down the order helped Afghanistan post 300/5 in the 50 overs.

Meanwhile, let us look at the stats and numbers by Afghanistan’s opening pair of Gurbaz and Zadran:

227 -Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran added 227 runs for the opening partnership, the second-highest opening partnership against Pakistan in ODIs. David Warner and Travis Head top the chart with their 284-run stand, which happened in Adelaide, in 2017.

4 -Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz became only the fourth opening pair to record two double-century stands in a Calendar year.

Most Double Century stands by an opening pair in a calendar year in ODIs:

2 -Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga in 2006

2 -Tilakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga in 2011

2 -Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka in 2017

2 -Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran in 2023

151 -Rahmanullah Gurbaz registered his highest score of 151 in this game. Moreover, this is also the highest score by a wicket-keeper batter against Pakistan in ODIs, surpassing MS Dhoni’s tally of 148 runs, which he scored in 2005, in Visakhapatnam.

151 -The score of 151 from Rahmanullah Gurbaz is also the highest individual score by a batter in Hambantota. Previously Kumar Sangakkara scored 133 vs. India, in 2014.

5 -Rahmanullah Gurbaz registered his 5th hundred in ODIs, this is the second most number of hundreds by a batter at the age of 21. Upul Tharanga and Quinton de Kock top the list with 6 hundred.

2 -Rahmanullah Gurbaz now has the joint-second most number of hundreds by an Afghanistan batter along with Rahmat Shah. Mohammad Shahzad tops the list with six hundred.

151 -Rahmanullah Gurbaz registered his highest score of 151 in ODIs, bettering his previous best score of 145 against Bangladesh in 2023.

2 -Rahmanullah Gurbaz has scored 5 centuries in 23 innings, the second quickest in terms of innings taken to register five ODI hundreds. Imam-ul-Haq and Quinton de Kock share the first spot with 19 innings.

2 -Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran are the only opening pair from Afghanistan to register two double-century stands.