Ananya Lohia , Lucknow - India captain Shubman Gill continued his remarkable run in international cricket with a brilliant century in the second ODI against Afghanistan at Lucknow’s Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. The knock marked Gill’s first ODI hundred as captain and further cemented his status as one of the format’s leading batters.

Batting at No. 3 instead of his usual opening position to accommodate Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top, Gill arrived at the crease early after Jaiswal was dismissed for four. After Afghanistan elected to bowl first, the Indian skipper steadied the innings and stitched together an 87-run partnership with Rohit Sharma. Building on his unbeaten 84 in the series opener, Gill accelerated confidently and reached his century in just 77 balls. His innings featured 12 boundaries and two sixes, showcasing both composure and attacking intent. The hundred was Gill’s ninth in ODI cricket, achieved in only 63 innings.

With the milestone, Gill drew level with former India captain MS Dhoni for ODI centuries by an Indian batter. He also continues to boast the highest batting average among Indian men in ODI cricket, hovering close to 59. The century comes shortly after Gill crossed 3,000 ODI runs in just 62 innings, making him the second-fastest batter in history to reach the landmark behind Hashim Amla. In doing so, he surpassed the previous Indian record held by Shikhar Dhawan.

Gill’s latest masterclass underlined his growing influence as India’s captain and batting mainstay. With India continuing to dominate the contest and Ishan Kishan also bringing up a rapid century, the hosts piled on the runs in Lucknow, further strengthening their position in the series.