The right-hander played a controlled innings against Ireland, reaching three figures after helping Afghanistan make a strong start with the bat
Published: August 12, 2026, 8:06 PM IST
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File photo of Ibrahim Zadran(Credits: IANS)
Ibrahim Zadran added another major record to his ODI career on Wednesday as he became the fastest Afghanistan batter to reach 2,000 runs in the formatHe achieved the landmark during the fourth ODI against Ireland at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast.
Zadran needed just 45 innings to reach the mark, putting him joint-third on the list of fastest batters to score 2,000 ODI runsHe reached the milestone with a second run off Mark AdairOnly India’s Shubman Gill and South Africa’s Hashim Amla have got there quickerGill took 38 innings, while Amla reached the mark in 40 innings.
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Zadran shares the third spot with four well-known namesFormer Pakistan batter Zaheer Abbas, England’s Kevin Pietersen, Pakistan’s Babar Azam and South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen also reached 2,000 ODI runs in 45 inningsThe record puts Zadran among some of the biggest names to have played the format.
The Afghan opener has been a regular run-scorer since making his ODI debutHe had already crossed 1,000 runs in only 24 innings and has continued to build his numbers at a strong rateHis record is even more impressive given that he has played a large part of his career in a developing Afghanistan side.
Zadran also marked the occasion with a centuryThe right-hander played a controlled innings against Ireland, reaching three figures after helping Afghanistan make a strong start with the batHis hundred added to a growing list of big ODI scores, including his career-best 177 against England in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
The century was another sign of Zadran’s importance at the top of Afghanistan’s batting orderHe has often been used as the player responsible for giving the side a solid platform, and his ability to bat deep into an innings has made him one of Afghanistan’s most dependable ODI players.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan made full use of a good batting surface after being sent in to bat firstZadran and Sediqullah Atal provided a strong start before Afghanistan continued to build towards a big totalBy the 43rd over, Afghanistan had moved to 286/3, with Atal also reaching his half-century.
The Afghan batters kept the scoring rate under control while finding regular boundariesZadran’s innings gave the visitors the base they needed, while Atal’s contribution kept the pressure on Ireland’s bowlersAfghanistan entered the final stages of the innings in a strong position, with plenty of batting still to come.
The fourth ODI was another chance for Afghanistan to complete a strong series against Ireland after winning the second and third matchesZadran’s record and century gave the visitors an ideal start as they looked to finish the series on a high.
