Glorious beginnings: Batsmen who scored a century on ODI debut in 21st century
Scoring a century on debut is quite a big task especially in the One-Day format as the margin of error is less. To score a century on ODI debut, one has to open or see his team lose a couple of early wickets. Opening isn’t an easy job either especially for a new-comer. It is the reason that only 16 players have scored a century on Men’s ODI debut and only 12 of them have done it in the 21st century.
The latest of them is 19-year-old Rahmanullah Gurbaz who scored 127 off 127 balls for Afghanistan last week against Ireland. Rahmanullah’s 127 is the highest individual score on ODI debut in this century. It is also overall the 2nd highest individual score on debut in ODI cricket. Gurbaz is also only the 2nd teenager in Men’s ODI cricket to score a hundred on debut.
Quite fittingly, Rahmanullah Gurbaz became the first player to be born in the 21st century to have scored a hundred in the ODI format. He is also the first 21st century born player to score a ton in International cricket. The first of the 12 players to score a hundred on ODI debut in this century was Martin Guptill for New Zealand in 2009.
Guptill scored an unbeaten 122 in the ODI hosted by Auckland against West Indies and also became the first player in nearly 13 years to score a hundred on ODI debut. In 2015, Mark Chapman scored an unbeaten 124 against UAE while representing Hong Kong. He thus became only the 2nd player to score a hundred on ODI debut for an associate nation.
? First batsman to score ? on ODI debut for Afghanistan
? Second-highest score on ODI debut
? Second-youngest to score ? on ODI debut (19y & 54d)
? Most sixes on ODI debut (9)Rahmanullah Gurbaz was on ? against Ireland today!#AFGvIRE ??☘️pic.twitter.com/HMcIwfcSkt
— Cricingif (@_cricingif) January 21, 2021
The fastest ODI hundred on debut was recorded by Reeza Hendricks of South Africa in 2018 where he smashed a century in only 88 balls against Sri Lanka. In 2016 against Zimbabwe, KL Rahul achieved a rare feat as he got to his century on ODI debut by hitting a six with which he also scored the winning runs. Rahul also became the first Indian to score a hundred on Men’s ODI debut.
Players to score a hundred on Men’s ODI debut in the 21st century:
