Sports
Ibrahim Zadran Creates ODI History in Just 3 Balls: Joins Shubman Gill and Hashim Amla in Elite 2,000-Run Club
Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran has become the joint-third-fastest batter in ODI history to reach 2,000 runs, achieving the milestone in his 45th innings against Ireland in Belfast.
Ibrahim Zadran has added another major milestone to his rapidly growing ODI career.
The Afghanistan opener reached 2,000 runs in One-Day Internationals during the fourth ODI against Ireland at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast on Wednesday, August 12.
What makes the achievement even more impressive is the speed at which Zadran reached the landmark. The 24-year-old needed only two runs to complete 2,000 ODI runs and reached the mark within just three deliveries.
With the achievement, Zadran has become the joint-third-fastest batter in ODI history to reach 2,000 runs in terms of innings.
Only Shubman Gill and Hashim Amla are ahead
Zadran reached the milestone in his 45th ODI innings, putting him level with some of the biggest names in the format.
Only Shubman Gill and Hashim Amla have reached 2,000 ODI runs in fewer innings.
Gill achieved the landmark in just 38 innings, while former South Africa batter Amla reached it in 40 innings.
Zadran’s 45-innings mark puts him alongside Zaheer Abbas, Kevin Pietersen, Babar Azam and Rassie van der Dussen on the all-time list.
Fastest batters to 2,000 ODI runs
| Player | Country | Innings |
|---|---|---|
| Shubman Gill | India | 38 |
| Hashim Amla | South Africa | 40 |
| Zaheer Abbas | Pakistan | 45 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | Afghanistan | 45 |
| Kevin Pietersen | England | 45 |
| Babar Azam | Pakistan | 45 |
| Rassie van der Dussen | South Africa | 45 |
The milestone also makes Zadran the eighth Afghanistan batter to cross the 2,000-run mark in ODI cricket. He has now moved past another significant benchmark in a career that has continued to develop rapidly.
Zadran continues to strengthen Afghanistan’s batting
Zadran has established himself as one of Afghanistan’s most important ODI batters since making his international debut.
His ability to score consistently at the top of the order has made him a key part of Afghanistan’s plans in the format, alongside fellow opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
The milestone against Ireland came during a particularly strong run for Afghanistan in the ongoing ODI series. The visitors had already taken a 2-0 lead after the first match was abandoned, before winning the second and third ODIs.
ALSO READ: Rohit Sharma Sends Strong Fitness Warning Ahead of England ODIs… India Captain Begins Batting Grind After Family Break
A milestone followed by another big innings
Zadran did not stop after reaching 2,000 ODI runs.
During the same innings, he went on to bring up his seventh ODI century, further underlining the significance of his performance in Belfast.
His seventh ODI hundred moved him into second place among Afghanistan’s batters for most ODI centuries, behind Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who has nine.
The achievement also places Zadran in another elite category: he is now among the very few Afghanistan batters to combine a rapid rise to 2,000 ODI runs with a substantial collection of centuries at a relatively young age.
From Khost to Afghanistan’s ODI record books
Born in Khost, Zadran has steadily emerged as one of Afghanistan’s most promising batting talents.
His ODI debut came against the West Indies in November 2019, and he has since become a central figure in Afghanistan’s limited-overs setup.
He already holds Afghanistan’s record for the highest individual ODI score, having made 177 against South Africa in Lahore in 2025.
Now, with 2,000 ODI runs safely in the books, another landmark has been added to his growing international résumé.
At just 24, Zadran is already keeping company with Gill, Amla, Abbas and other legendary ODI run-scorers. If his current trajectory continues, this may prove to be only the beginning of a much bigger record-breaking career.
