Legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar has showered immense praise on the selfless team culture running through the current Indian dressing room. His comments followed India’s clinical seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan in a rain-truncated first One Day International (ODI) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium on Saturday, June 13, 2026.
The rain-curtailed fixture saw the contest reduced to an intense 25-overs-a-side game. Despite an explosive century from Afghan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, India easily reeled in a tricky target with 13 balls to spare. While Shubman Gill’s anchor innings won him the Player of the Match award, it was KL Rahul‘s explosive finish that caught Gavaskar’s attention, sparking a conversation on intent versus individual milestones.
Sunil Gavaskar opens up on KL Rahul’s intent as Shubman Gill approached a ton in the 1st ODI
As the match raced toward its conclusion, opening batter Gill was well-poised to reach a memorable century, sitting in the 80s. Concurrently, India needed roughly 30 runs to secure the win. Instead of playing out dot balls to allow his partner a shot at the milestone, middle-order batter Rahul decided to shift gears aggressively.
Rahul targeted Afghan bowler Ziaur Rahman, who up until that point had been incredibly economical, conceding a mere 19 runs from his first three overs. Rahul tore into the left-arm spinner, smashing 20 runs in a single over. This explosive cameo effectively sealed the game but left Gill stranded on an unbeaten 84.
Speaking on JioStar’s ‘Cricket Live’ show, Sunil Gavaskar emphasized that this approach reflects a healthy, team-first ecosystem:
“Before that over from Zia Ur Rahman, he had bowled three overs for just 19 runs. Then KL Rahul took 20 runs off that over. Up until that point, Shubman Gill needed 21 runs to reach his hundred, with about 30 still needed for the team to win. But then Rahul took charge. That tells you everything about this team. It’s not about personal milestones. It’s about what each player can do for the team. To win the match in the 23rd over shows how clinical the chase was. It was a stiff target, not an easy one at all. But they made it look so ridiculously simple because they put the team first.”
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India ease past Afghanistan in a one-sided first ODI contest
Earlier in the day, after a lengthy delay due to a wet outfield and rain, Afghanistan was put in to bat. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz played a spectacular lone-warrior knock, blasting 102 off just 51 deliveries, including 8 fours and 8 towering sixes. However, the rest of the batting order crumbled under pressure.
Harsh Dubey was the pick of the Indian bowlers, picking up 3 wickets for 47 runs in his 5 overs. He was brilliantly supported by Gurnoor Brar, who cleaned up the tail to finish with figures of 3 for 27. Afghanistan was eventually bowled out for 194 runs in 24.5 overs.
Chasing a demanding target of 195 in 25 overs (required run rate of 7.80), India never looked flustered. Skipper Rohit Sharma provided a quick 16 off 16 balls before being run out, and Ishan Kishan chipped in with a brisk 34 off 22 balls.
Gill anchoring the innings with a brilliant 84* off 66 balls (11 fours, 1 six) kept India firmly in control. When Shreyas Iyer fell for 12, Rahul walked out with an aggressive mindset, blasting 39* off just 19 balls at a strike rate of 205.26. Their unbroken 53-run partnership ensured India cruised to 195/3 in 22.5 overs, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
