Hashmatullah Shahidi Achieves Milestone with Maiden ODI Century Against India

Hashmatullah Shahidi made headlines by scoring his first ODI century against India in Chennai. His innings of 102 runs came after a challenging start for Afghanistan, showcasing his resilience and skill. This achievement places him among the slowest players to reach their first century, taking over 4,600 days since his debut. Shahidi's performance not only highlights his individual talent but also his crucial role in Afghan cricket history. Discover more about his journey and the match details in this article.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 20, 2026, 20:14 IST

Shahidi's Historic Performance

In a remarkable display of resilience, Afghanistan's captain Hashmatullah Shahidi scored his first One Day International (ODI) century against India during the third ODI held in Chennai on Saturday. This achievement makes him the fourth-slowest player to reach his inaugural three-figure score, measured by the number of days since his debut.

Shahidi came to bat when Afghanistan was struggling at 26 for 2. He played a crucial innings, amassing 102 runs off 131 balls, which included 13 boundaries and a six, achieving a strike rate of 77.86.

A Record-Breaking Innings

It took Shahidi 4,644 days from his ODI debut in 2013 to secure his first century, ranking him fourth in the list of players who took the longest to achieve this milestone. He follows Sri Lankan great Arjuna Ranatunga (4,674 days), Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar (4,858 days), and Zimbabwe's Regis Chakabva (5,040 days). Shahidi reached his century in 126 balls, marking it as the second-slowest century for Afghanistan in ODIs, only behind Ibrahim Zadran's 131-ball century against Australia during the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Shahidi's Contributions to Afghan Cricket

With 96 ODIs under his belt, Shahidi has accumulated 2,607 runs in 94 innings, boasting an average of 33.42 and a strike rate of 67.80. His record includes one century and 22 half-centuries, with his highest score being 102. He ranks as Afghanistan's fourth-highest run-scorer in ODIs. The record for the most runs in ODIs for Afghanistan is held by Rahmat Shah, who has scored 4,121 runs in 128 matches, averaging 35.22 with five centuries and 33 fifties, and a top score of 114.

Match Overview

In the match, Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first. However, they faced early setbacks as Prasidh Krishna took 5 wickets for just 23 runs, leaving Afghanistan at 36 for 4 during the powerplay. A crucial partnership of 105 runs between Azmatullah Omarzai (50 runs off 56 balls, including five fours and two sixes) and Shahidi helped stabilize the innings. Despite regular wickets falling after Omarzai's dismissal, Shahidi's century was a highlight as Afghanistan was eventually bowled out for 218 runs. Indian bowlers Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, and Harsh Dubey each claimed a wicket.