Gill's 84* and debutants Brar, Dubey shine as India beat Afghanistan by 7 wickets in 1st ODI
Synopsis
Two debutants, one Gurbaz masterclass, and a Gill masterpiece — the rain-hit Dharamshala ODI had it all. Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey took three wickets each on debut to contain Afghanistan to 194, before Shubman Gill's unbeaten 84 sealed a seven-wicket win with 13 balls to spare, giving India a 1-0 lead in the series.
Key Takeaways
India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the rain-reduced 1st ODI at HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala on 13 June .
Shubman Gill hit 84 not out off 66 balls , including 11 fours and two sixes , and crossed 3,000 ODI runs .
Debutants Gurnoor Brar (3-27) and Harsh Dubey (3-47) were the pick of India's bowlers.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 102 off 48 balls — the fastest ODI century by an Afghan batter.
KL Rahul finished unbeaten on 39 off 19 balls ; Rohit Sharma brought up 16,000 international runs before being run out for 16 .
The match was reduced to 25 overs per side after a rain delay of 4 hours 15 minutes .
Shubman Gill hit an unbeaten 84 off 66 balls to guide India to a commanding seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the rain-curtailed first ODI at the HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala on Saturday, 13 June. Chasing a target of 195 in a match reduced to 25 overs per side, India completed the chase in 22.5 overs, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Debutants Brar and Dubey set the tone
Debutant left-arm pacer Gurnoor Brar finished with figures of 3 for 27, castling Rashid Khan with pace before having Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi caught at long-on. Fellow debutant left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey recovered from an expensive start to take 3 for 47, removing Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, and AM Ghazanfar. Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy chipped in with two wickets each to bowl Afghanistan out for 194 in 24.5 overs.
Gurbaz's blistering century almost changed the contest
Rahmanullah Gurbaz produced a stunning 102 off 48 balls — the fastest century by an Afghan batter in ODI cricket and the second fastest by any batter against India in the format. His knock, studded with eight fours and eight sixes, accounted for 78 percent of his runs in boundaries. Afghanistan's top order collapsed inside the powerplay — Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, and Rahmat Shah all falling early — but Gurbaz counter-attacked spectacularly, putting on a 116-run stand with Shahidi (27) at a run-rate of over ten.
At one stage, Afghanistan appeared set to cross 220, but Nitish Kumar Reddy dismissed Gurbaz with a pinpoint slower yorker for 102, and the innings unravelled. Barring Shahidi and Omarzai's 20s, no other Afghan batter reached double figures.
Gill leads a clinical chase
India's chase began with a jolt when Rohit Sharma — who had just punched through covers and pulled Omarzai for a six to bring up 16,000 international runs — was run out for 16 following a mid-wicket mix-up, after their 46-run opening stand. Gill, however, was unfazed and took control with 11 fours and two sixes in his 66-ball knock.
Ishan Kishan sparkled on his return to ODIs with a 22-ball 34, before Rashid Khan's googly found his stumps in the 13th over. Shreyas Iyer added a brisk 12 before pulling to mid-on. At 137 for 3, Gill held firm — reaching his fifty off 37 balls and crossing 3,000 ODI runs during the chase. KL Rahul then accelerated with lofted cover drives and pulls, finishing unbeaten on a 19-ball 39 with four boundaries and three sixes as India completed the chase in the 23rd over.
Context and what it means for the series
The match, delayed by four hours and 15 minutes of rain, was reduced to a 25-overs-a-side contest. Despite the shortened format, both teams produced high-quality cricket. Notably, India maintained their unbeaten record against Afghanistan in ODIs. The two debutants — Brar and Dubey — impressed on a stage that tests composure, and their performances will be closely watched as India manage workloads ahead of a packed international calendar.
The second ODI in the three-match series is next, with Afghanistan needing to regroup after a comprehensive defeat.
Point of View
On debut, in a format India are rebuilding for, is the genuine takeaway. Gill's innings was authoritative as ever, but Rohit's run-out and the middle-order's relative quietness are worth monitoring as the series progresses. Afghanistan's over-reliance on Gurbaz — once he fell, the innings folded for 194 — remains a structural vulnerability that India's bowlers identified and exploited cleanly.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the result of the India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI on 13 June?
India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the rain-curtailed first ODI at HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala on 13 June. The match was reduced to 25 overs per side, and India chased down 195 in 22.5 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
How did Shubman Gill perform in the 1st ODI against Afghanistan?
Shubman Gill scored an unbeaten 84 off 66 balls, hitting 11 fours and two sixes to anchor India's chase. He also crossed 3,000 ODI runs during the innings and reached his fifty off just 37 balls.
What records did Rahmanullah Gurbaz set in the 1st ODI?
Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit 102 off 48 balls — the fastest ODI century by an Afghan batter and the second fastest by any batter against India in the format. His knock featured eight fours and eight sixes, with 78 percent of his runs coming in boundaries.
How did India's debutants Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey perform?
Both debutants took three wickets each. Gurnoor Brar finished with 3 for 27, while Harsh Dubey claimed 3 for 47 after recovering from an expensive start. Their performances were central to India bowling Afghanistan out for 194.
Why was the India vs Afghanistan ODI in Dharamshala reduced to 25 overs?
The match at HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala was curtailed due to rain, which caused a delay of four hours and 15 minutes. As a result, the contest was reduced to 25 overs per side.
