Gurbaz becomes 1st player from Afghanistan to score ODI ton on debut

Gurbaz's 127 is also the second-highest score by a debutant in one-dayers. West Indian batsman Desmond Haynes' 148 against Australia in 1978 in Antigua is still the highest by a debutant.

Hyderabad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored a superb 127 as Afghanistan register a 16-run win over Ireland in the first of their three one-day internationals.

• How impressed were you with @RGurbaz_21's sensational century?
  
  Incredible scenes captured by @AbuDhabiCricket 📸#AFGvIRE pic.twitter.com/Y1xyJazKVq

  — ICC (@ICC) January 21, 2021 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  How impressed were you with @RGurbaz_21's sensational century?
  
  Incredible scenes captured by @AbuDhabiCricket 📸#AFGvIRE pic.twitter.com/Y1xyJazKVq

  — ICC (@ICC) January 21, 2021

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  How impressed were you with @RGurbaz_21's sensational century?
  
  Incredible scenes captured by @AbuDhabiCricket 📸#AFGvIRE pic.twitter.com/Y1xyJazKVq

  — ICC (@ICC) January 21, 2021

With this ton, Gurbaz has become the first player from Afghanistan to smash a hundred in a debut match. Gurbaz's 127 run knock was laced with 8 fours and 9 sixes. He now also holds the record for most sixes by a debutant. Before Gurbaz, the record was held by India’s Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Sindhu had smashed five sixes in his debut match against Australia in the 1987 World Cup.

Gurbaz's 127 is also the second-highest score by a debutant in one-dayers. West Indian batsman Desmond Haynes' 148 against Australia in 1978 in Antigua is still the highest score by a debutant.

Earlier, riding on Gurbaz's 127 and Rashid Khan's 55 run knocks, Afghanistan scored 287 for nine in their allotted 50 overs. Andy McBrine was the pick of the bowlers for Ireland, he picked five wickets and gave away just 29 runs.

Chasing a mammoth total of 288 runs to win, Ireland managed to score just 271 runs for the loss of nine-wicket in 50-overs.