India head coach Gautam Gambhir could not hide his absolute admiration as KL Rahul produced a moment of sheer batting class during the first One Day International against Afghanistan. An animated dugout reaction from the former national team opener quickly became a massive talking point during a comfortable seven-wicket victory wrapped up in Dharamsala on Saturday. The viral footage captured the exact moment the master tactician stood completely astounded.
A video shared online by the BCCI clearly captured Gambhir with his mouth and eyes wide open in sheer disbelief. The sudden shock followed a massive stroke from the experienced middle-order batsman.
Rahul confidently launched rival bowler Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi for a breathtaking six straight over the extra cover boundary ropes. The stunning milestone arrived in the twenty-second over of the second-innings run chase.
The elegant batsman leaned forward into a pitched-up delivery completely outside the off stump line to execute an exquisite lofted cover drive. The exceptional effort safely capped off a lucrative twenty-run over.
Sublime ball-striking 👌💥
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 13, 2026
🎥 Easy on the eye shots from Captain Shubman Gill and KL Rahul en route to a fine victory 👏
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The massive modern hit took the host nation comfortably to a commanding score of 182-3, effectively sealing the match result. Rahul officially finished the competitive contest just five deliveries later by hitting a final boundary.
Chasing a modest victory target of 195 runs in a rain-reduced twenty-five-overs-a-side encounter, the home team recovered exceptionally well. The national squad easily overcame the early run-out of veteran opener Rohit Sharma.
Captain Shubman Gill led the frontline expertly with an unbeaten contribution of eighty-four runs from sixty-six balls. Returning left-hander Ishan Kishan also provided a fluent thirty-four runs at the top order.
Earlier in the day, explosive Afghanistan opening batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz single-handedly rescued his struggling side with a sensational knock of 102 runs off fifty-one deliveries. The visitors had collapsed early to 26-3.
The aggressive right-handed attacker smashed eight boundaries and eight maximums before the Indian bowlers fought back strongly. Debutants Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey claimed three crucial wickets apiece to wrap up the innings.
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