Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz has joined Indian legend Virat Kohli on an elite list of cricketers with the most ODI centuries before turning 23. Gurbaz achieved this feat by scoring a brilliant century in the second ODI against South Africa, bringing his tally to seven centuries in ODIs. This puts him level with Kohli, who also notched up seven tons before the age of 23.
The current record holder, South Africa’s Quinton de Kock, managed eight ODI centuries before his 23rd birthday, giving Gurbaz the chance to match or surpass this milestone before he turns 23 on November 28.
In his 42 ODI appearances, Gurbaz has amassed 1,572 runs at an average of 38.34, with his highest score being 151. His outstanding performance was crucial in Afghanistan’s historic series win against South Africa, as they secured a 177-run victory in the second match to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. This series marked the first bilateral ODI contest between the two nations, and Afghanistan emerged as a clear victors.
Following Gurbaz’s century, all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai provided further momentum with a blistering 86 off 50 balls, pushing Afghanistan’s total to 311 in 50 overs. In response, South Africa’s batting line-up crumbled once again. After being dismissed for 106 in the first ODI, they fared little better in the second, collapsing to 134 all out in 34.2 overs. Rashid Khan led the bowling attack with impressive figures of 5/19, while left-arm spinner Nangeyaliya Kharote made a significant impact, taking four wickets.
Afghanistan’s Comprehensive Victory Over South Africa
With a chance to equal de Kock’s record, Gurbaz will look to make history in the final ODI of the series. Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s remarkable century not only propelled Afghanistan to a dominant 177-run victory over South Africa, securing a historic series win, but also cemented his place among cricket’s rising stars.
His seventh ODI hundred places him alongside Virat Kohli on the list of players with the most centuries before turning 23, with only Quinton de Kock ahead of him. As Afghanistan outplayed South Africa in both batting and bowling, with standout performances from Azmatullah Omarzai and Rashid Khan, Gurbaz now has one final opportunity to equal or surpass de Kock’s record in the concluding match of the series, further solidifying his already impressive ODI career.
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