Perhaps it might not be wrong to suggest that one of the biggest and most important questions that often tickles the mind of the avid cricket fan is this just what separates the decent batter from a very good one. Is it just the runs scored or the consistency with which they are scored? Or could it also be the sheer skill that it takes to collect lots of runs? Truth be told, it might not be a terrible idea to suggest that the standard definition of what differentiates a good batter from a very compelling one is that while good batters score runs every now and again, the real compelling talents with the bat seem to operate with a significantly higher level of confidence, hence authority. Or, specifically speaking in terms of Afghanistan talents, the really compelling batters are the ones like a certain Rahmanullah Gurbaz who seem to find considerable ease in terms of run making despite contesting with evident pressure.
Whether you are a regular cricket fan or die hard admirer of the game who doesn’t miss out on the small details that make the sport such a darling of everyone’s eye, you would have noted that the Rahmanullah Gurbaz out in action was something so much more. You’d have noted that the right hander found in action against India on June 13 at the maiden ODI of the series at the wet and tricky Dharamshala was anything but a regular good talent. He seemed a highly skilled and destructive one.
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Not that he hasn’t played brilliant knocks marked by calculated aggression before; we’ve seen some fantastic knocks in 2023 and even in 2024.
But the Rahmanullah Gurbaz one saw in action in the highly truncated 25-over-a-side contest on June 13 against India was one marked by sheer bravado.
Not only did the attacking right hander not up a 9th career ODI century, he scored a rather record breaking one!
Taking just 48 odd deliveries to notch up his maiden one day century against India and that too, in India, this was a Rahmanullah Gurbaz who seemed to be operating with comfortable ease despite finding his team with its back against the wall.
He would perish for a significantly important 102 off just 51 that featured 8 fours and as many sixes but more importantly, form the headlining act as far as the Afghanistan innings was concerned.
A century in India against one of the most powerful and supreme forces that exists in the white ball format and a top notch century that featured powerful strokes backed by both intent and extreme quality.
Is that all?
Well, that and more at a time where a third of the Afghanistan side had been sent back to the pavilion without even reaching a score of 100.
And forget not that it is Gurbaz who opens the innings for his side hence being amid high octane action from the word go or the very first ball.
For what it’s worth, a ninth career ODI century didn’t just carry the typical Afghan agro and unrelenting will, but the desire to always put up a fight. Irrespective of the level or sheer scale of the opponents that Afghanistan came up against.
What do you reckon?
Truth be told, irrespective of the game’s outcome, what’ll matter for times to come is that a roaring young Afghan lad became the first batter since Shahid Afridi in 2005 to score a century in India under 50 deliveries.
And if that’s not phenomenal, then what is?
