In a landmark moment for Afghanistan cricket, veteran batter Rahmat Shah etched his name into the history books by becoming the first player from his country to score 1,000 runs in Test cricket. The milestone came on Day 2 of the one-off Test match against India at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium at Mullanpur on Sunday.
The 32-year-old Shah achieved the huge milestone during his gritty knock (43 not out off 81 balls as Afghanistan replied to India’s mammoth first-innings total of 564/8. Despite the team slumping to 113/5 at stumps on Day 2, Shah’s resistance highlighted his enduring class and importance to the side.
A Huge Milestone For Afghan Cricket
Reaching 1,000 Test runs is a significant landmark for any batter, but for a player from a developing Test nation that plays the format sporadically, it is a monumental achievement.
While names like Rashid Khan have dominated global T20 headlines, Shah has quietly cemented himself as the foundational bedrock of Afghanistan’s red-ball cricket.
Rahmat Shah, A Pillar Of Afghan Cricket
Rahmat Shah, now in his 12th Test, has long been Afghanistan’s most reliable red-ball batter. He boasts an impressive average above 45, with three centuries and five half-centuries. His highest score remains a monumental 234 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in December 2024 – Afghanistan’s second-highest individual Test innings.
Shah made his Test debut in Afghanistan’s historic inaugural match against India in June 2018. Shah became the country’s first Test centurion with a fine hundred against Bangladesh in 2019, laying the foundation for a memorable victory.
Over the years, he has consistently shouldered the batting responsibilities in a young and evolving Test setup.
Playing XIs For IND vs AFG One Off Test
India: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Afghanistan: Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Afsar Zazai (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Ziaur Rahman, Mohammad Saleem
