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.
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Here’s how fans reacted:
First ODI hundred for Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi 💯⚡#INDvsAFG #HashmatullahShahidi #Cricket pic.twitter.com/N1LJLIrcAG
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) June 20, 2026
Respect from the Chepauk crowd for Hashmatullah Shahidi after his brilliant hundred 👏#INDvsAFG pic.twitter.com/5u1XQ39Zzf
— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) June 20, 2026
🚨 Huge Blow For ACB 🚨
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi scored a hundred against India in the third ODI and booked his place as captain for the next few years. 😭
Bro delivered when nobody wanted him to 🤦♂️pic.twitter.com/utPkFq89av
— Noor Ahmad Nation 🇦🇫 (@kohinor_7) June 20, 2026
hashmatullah shahidi came to bat when afg were 26-2 and then scored a 💯 in pressure..captain’s knock🫡 pic.twitter.com/FIKsxg68Yv
— Ayush_4 (@ayush____4) June 20, 2026
FIRST ODI HUNDRED FOR HASHMAT SHAHIDI.
– Captains knock from Shahidi. 🇦🇫 pic.twitter.com/iIATi8Iaqq
— Maina Singh (@Maina_Singhx77) June 20, 2026
MAIDEN ODI HUNDRED BY HASHMATULLAH SHAHIDI. 💯
A wonderful knock by Afghanistan captain, came to bat when team was struggling at 36/4 and then played a fine innings. pic.twitter.com/Xan7LxNoiL
— Ahmad Haseeb (@iamAhmadhaseeb) June 20, 2026
MAIDEN ODI HUNDRED FOR CAPTAIN HASHMATULLAH SHAHIDI. 💯
Afghanistan at one stage 36/4 from then he smashed a terrific Hundred against India at Chepauk in such a difficult situation – What a Hundred by Captain Shahidi. pic.twitter.com/mPiJQowvS0
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) June 20, 2026
HASHMATULLAH SHAHIDI – THE HERO OF AFGHAN BATTING UNIT. pic.twitter.com/NpX8LkXMpS
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 20, 2026
What an innings by Hashmat Shahidi!
Century against India and the Indian fans are cheering him on 👏
Respect!– Brilliant batting from the Afghan skipper.
– Afghanistan penalties 5 runs for Hashmatullah Shahidi running in danger zone for more than 3 times…— Kashif (@KashifNdmCric) June 20, 2026
CAPTAIN SHAHIDI STOOD TALL WHEN AFGHANISTAN NEEDED HIM MOST. 🇦🇫💯
– A fighting century under immense pressure 💪🏏
The backbone of Afghanistan’s recovery 🇦🇫👑#HashmatullahShahidi #AfghanistanCricket #INDvAFG #Cricket #CricketX 💯🔥🇦🇫 pic.twitter.com/76YMUkJtEa
— Akaran.A (@Akaran_1) June 20, 2026
AFGHANISTAN CAPTAIN HASHMAT SHAHIDI SCORED HIS MAIDEN ODI CENTURY 💯
He becomes second Afghanistan captain to score 💯 in ODIs.
Well played. 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/XlSKdCnCwt
— Whistle Podu | CSK Central (@whistlepoduclub) June 20, 2026
🚨 MAIDEN ODI HUNDRED FOR CAPTAIN HASHMATULLAH SHAHIDI 🚨
– A knock he will remember forever. pic.twitter.com/TeOhYmVXiv
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 20, 2026
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.
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