Rahmanullah Gurbaz achieved an extraordinary ODI feat, surpassing batting stalwarts Babar Azam and Shikhar Dhawan, courtesy of his 151 runs in the second ODI against Pakistan at Hambantota in Sri Lanka.
He smoked 14 fours and three sixes to reach 151 with a strike rate of 100, which helped Afghanistan post a massive total of 300 on the board in their 50 overs batting first.
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With this knock, Gurbaz became the third-fastest batter to notch up five centuries in ODIs, beating Azam, Dhawan, Sri Lanka's Upul Tharanga and South Africa's Hashim Amla.
While Gurbaz took 23 innings to score five centuries, Azam had achieved the feat in 25, whereas, Dhawan reached the milestone in 28 innings.
Surpassing established players like Azam and Dhawan showcases his potential to become a consistent match-winner for his team.
Gurbaz's innings was characterized by careful play at the start and explosive strokeplay later on. His partnership with Ibrahim Zadran, contributing to a substantial partnership of 227 runs, was pivotal in placing Afghanistan in a commanding position.
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AFG vs PAK: Gurbaz joins list of batsmen to score fastest five ODI centuries
Quinton de Kock and Imam-ul-Haq hold the record for scoring the fastest five ODI centuries in just 19 innings.
| S.No | Player Name | Team | Innings take to 5 ODI centuries |
| 1. | Quinton de Kock | South Africa | 19 |
| 2. | Imam-ul-Haq | Pakistan | 19 |
| 3. | Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Afghanistan | 23 |
| 4. | Babar Azam | Pakistan | 25 |
| 5. | Upul Tharanga | Sri Lanka | 28 |
| 6. | Shikhar Dhawan | India | 28 |
| 7. | Hashim Amla | South Africa | 30 |
What next for Afghanistan?
Gurbaz will hope to carry on his blistering form into the third ODI against Pakistan on August 26.
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