Indian captain Shubman Gill is set to lead the national team in a historic, first-ever bilateral ODI series against Afghanistan. When he takes the field for the opening match this Saturday, June 13, at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, the opening batsman will have his sights set on both a team victory and a major individual landmark.
The stylish right-handed opener requires only 43 more runs to etch his name into cricket history. Achieving this target will officially make him the second-fastest batsman to cross the 3,000-run milestone in ODI cricket. Since making his debut in the format against New Zealand in January 2019, Gill has accumulated 2,953 runs from 61 innings.
By reaching this milestone in Dharamsala, Gill will overtake several prominent international and domestic records. The ultimate world record belongs to South African great Hashim Amla, who reached 3,000 runs in a mere 57 innings. However, Gill is on track to surpass the current joint holders of the second spot, Shai Hope, Fakhar Zaman, and Imam-ul-Haq, who all required 67 innings to reach the mark. On the domestic front, Gill will break the Indian record currently held by Shikhar Dhawan, who achieved the feat in 72 innings.
Rohit Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav also Closing in on Major Records
Gill is not the only Indian player standing on the edge of history, as veteran stars Rohit Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav look to rewrite the record books in the opening match against Afghanistan.
For Rohit Sharma, a single scoring shot will be enough to surpass a legendary figure in world cricket. The Indian opener needs just three runs to overtake South African great Jacques Kallis on the list of all-time run-scorers in ODIs. While Kallis compiled his total of 11,579 runs across 328 matches, Rohit is set to pass that milestone in far fewer appearances, currently holding 11,577 runs from 282 ODIs. Concurrently, Kuldeep Yadav is approaching an elite milestone in the bowling department. The premier left-arm wrist spinner has taken 194 wickets across 120 ODIs, leaving him just six dismissals away from reaching the 200-wicket mark in the 50-over format.
Should the Kanpur-born spinner secure a six-wicket haul in the opening game, he will become the second-fastest Indian bowler in history to claim 200 ODI wickets. In terms of innings played, he would rank just behind fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who holds the Indian record by securing his 200th wicket in 104 matches.
India’s ODI Squad vs Afghanistan after Virat Kohli ruled out due to injury
Updated India squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey
India vs Afghanistan ODI schedule
1st ODI – June 13 (Dharamshala)
2nd ODI – June 17 (Lucknow)
3rd ODI – June 20 (Chennai)
