Fans erupt as Hashmatullah Shahidi leads by example with a stunning century against India in the 3rd ODI

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In a thrilling encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the 3rd ODI between India and Afghanistan on June 20, 2026, delivered a masterclass in grit, resilience, and high-octane white-ball cricket. With the series on the line in hot and humid Chennai, cricket fans worldwide witnessed an extraordinary chapter in Afghanistan’s cricketing history. Facing an aggressive Indian bowling lineup on a challenging surface, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi stood tall, leading his team from the front to post a fighting total after a devastating top-order collapse.

Hashmatullah Shahidi celebrates his maiden ODI ton against India

The defining moment of the match arrived in the 44th over. Pushing through severe body cramps and the oppressive Chennai heat, Shahidi etched his name into the history books. Facing Indian spinner Washington Sundar on the fourth ball of the 43.4 over, Shahidi smartly navigated a length ball just outside off-stump. With precise placement, he steered the ball beautifully between backward point and short third man to cross the boundary ropes.

With that single stroke, Shahidi reached his maiden ODI century against a formidable Indian attack, a landmark achievement that had eluded him for 95 matches. The moment the ball crossed the boundary, fans erupted in deafening cheers across the stadium. The Afghanistan dugout stood up in unison, applauding a captain’s knock that was nothing short of heroic. Shahidi punched the air in raw emotion, removed his helmet, raised his bat to acknowledge the crowd, and knelt for a quiet prayer on the pitch. His magnificent 102 off 131 balls, decorated with 13 fours and a towering six, single-handedly kept Afghanistan afloat while wickets tumbled on either end.

Also READ: Here’s why KL Rahul is not playing today’s game against Afghanistan in the 3rd ODI

Here’s how fans reacted:

Prasidh Krishna’s five-wicket haul folds Afghanistan to a competitive total

While Shahidi played the anchor, India’s bowling spearhead, Prasidh Krishna, was absolutely lethal with the new ball and during the death overs. Prasidh broke the back of Afghanistan’s batting order early on, triggering a top-order collapse that left the visitors reeling at a dismal 36 for 4 by the 10th over. Showing incredible control and bounce, Prasidh dismissed opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (5), Rahmat Shah (5), and Ibrahim Zadran (11) in quick succession, before returning later to claim the prize scalps of Darwish Rasooli (1) and eventually Shahidi himself. Prasidh finished with magnificent figures of 5 wickets for just 23 runs in his 8.2 overs, operating at an economy rate of 2.76.

Despite the early collapse, Afghanistan found a lifeline through a resilient 105-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai. Omarzai played a brilliant, counter-attacking knock of 50 runs off 56 balls, hitting 5 fours and 2 sixes to shift the pressure back onto the Indian spinners.

However, India’s disciplined bowling unit kept chipping away. Medium-pacer Prince Yadav broke the crucial partnership by removing Omarzai, finishing with tidy figures of 1 for 38. Gurnoor Brar clean-bowled the experienced Mohammad Nabi for 21, and Harsh Dubey removed Rashid Khan for 5. A frantic lower-order collapse saw two crucial run-outs by Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan, wiping out AM Ghazanfar and Fareed Ahmad for ducks.

Afghanistan was eventually bowled out for 218 runs in 44.2 overs. It sets up an intriguing chase for the Indian batting lineup, who require 200 runs to win under the D/N lights at Chennai due to a 5-run penalty adjustment during the match.

Also READ: Former India captain explains KL Rahul’s ideal batting position for India

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: crickettimes.com

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