Gurbaz Praises Gambhir’s Guidance After Stunning Century in ODI Against India

Afghanistan's opening batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz has expressed his gratitude towards India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir for the advice that helped him enhance his batting technique. This acknowledgment came after Gurbaz's remarkable performance in the first ODI at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, where he scored an impressive 102 runs off just 51 balls.

Gurbaz's innings, which included eight boundaries and eight sixes, marked his ninth century in One Day Internationals. Despite his outstanding effort, Afghanistan struggled overall, getting bowled out for 194 runs in 24.5 overs as other batsmen failed to make notable contributions.

After the match, Gurbaz revealed that a key conversation with Gambhir, following Afghanistan's recent 300-run loss in a one-off Test match, had a significant impact on his preparation. “After the Test match, I had a very good conversation with Gautam Gambhir sir (and) that discussion really helped me,” he stated.

In wanting to improve his shot selection, Gurbaz approached Gambhir for guidance. “I worked on those ideas in the nets, and I'm very grateful for the guidance,” he added. The advice he received was simple yet effective, which he successfully implemented during his explosive innings.

While Gurbaz excelled against the Indian bowling attack, Afghanistan faced challenges building partnerships, with debutant bowlers Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey taking a combined six wickets. Brar recorded impressive figures of 3/27, while Dubey finished with 3/47.

Reflecting on his mindset, Gurbaz emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive approach in limited-overs cricket while staying true to his natural game. “I just backed myself and played for the team,” he said. The 24-year-old noted that playing for Afghanistan remains his primary motivation, and scoring a century against India is a particularly special achievement. “It's the reward for the effort I've put in,” he concluded.