India's newly-appointed T20I vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is on the cusp of becoming 22nd batter from the country to score 3,000 ODI runs. Iyer missed out on reaching the milestone in the rain-curtailed series opener against Afghanistan. On June 17, he will need 11 more runs to achieve the milestone and become joint second-fastest to the 3,000 run-mark.
In the previous game, skipper Shubman Gill scored 84 runs in the successful run chase of 195 to become second-fastest to 3,000 runs in ODI history. He took 62 innings, five more than former South Africa opener Hashim Amla.
Iyer to equal Dhawan, go past Kohli
If Iyer scores 11 or more runs, he will equal former opener Shikhar Dhawan's feat by becoming second-fastest Indian to cross 3,000 ODI runs milestone. He will surpass ODI teammate Virat Kohli (75 innings) who is not part of the Afghanistan ODI series due to a hamstring injury.
Apart from Dhawan, West Indies' Gordon Greenidge, South Africa's Gary Kirsten, England's Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow reached 3,000 ODI runs in 72 innings as well.
Iyer’s ODI statistics
The 31-year-old has played 77 ODIs and scored 2,989 runs from 71 innings, averaging 45.98 and striking at 98.48. He has five centuries and 23 fifties in the ODI career which started in November 2021.
Gurbaz to be Afghanistan’s fastest to 2,000 ODI runs
Afghanistan's opener and wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz is 10 runs away from completing 2,000 ODI runs. If he does it in the second ODI of the series, he will become fastest Afghanistan batter to do so, breaking teammate Rahmat Shah's record from 57 innings.
Gurbaz will also become the seventh Afghan batter to score 2,000 ODI runs. From 53 innings, he has scored 1,990 runs, averaging 38.26. He has nine centuries and seven fifties.
Gurbaz found form in the series opener. As the game was reduced to 25 over per side due to rain and wet outfield, he wreaked havoc. From just 48 deliveries, he reached his ninth ODI century. It is the fastest century by an Afghan batter in ODIs.
The second ODI of the series is scheduled to take place at Lucknow's Ekana Cricket Stadium.