Shubman Gill guides India past Afghanistan in Dharamsala opener
Shubman Gill marshaled a clinical seven-wicket run chase in Dharamsala as India secured a 1-0 lead over Afghanistan in their three-match series. The opening encounter, disrupted heavily by weather, turned into an intense 25-overs-a-side contest. Chasing a target of 195, the Indian captain anchored the innings with a brilliant, unbeaten 84 runs off 66 deliveries to secure victory with 13 balls to spare.
Earlier, wet weather at the scenic Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium forced a four-hour delay before play could begin. This venue has historically favored seamers early on due to the high altitude and nearby Himalayan winds. India chose to hand international caps to fresh bowling talents Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey.
The strategy paid off instantly. Both rookie bowlers picked up three scalps each to dismantle the opposition lineup. Despite a spectacular counter-attacking century from visiting opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who smashed 102 runs from just 51 balls, the Afghan batting unit collapsed from a comfortable position. The lower order collapsed under constant pressure from the spin and pace rookies, folding for 194 runs in 24.5 overs.
Record Breaker Leads Chase
India response began rapidly despite an early mix-up that caused Rohit Sharma to be run out for 16. Ishan Kishan then contributed a quickfire 34 before elite leg-spinner Rashid Khan struck twice to threaten a fightback.
However, any hope for the visitors dissolved when KL Rahul joined his skipper. Rahul played a destructive cameo of 39 runs from just 19 balls, punishing the spinners to take the pressure off the chase. During his match-winning knock, Gill also reached 3000 ODI runs in his 62nd innings, making him the second-fastest batsman in cricket history to achieve this feat behind South African legend Hashim Amla.
With Inputs from Agency Threads
