New Delhi: Opener Lokesh Rahul, on Saturday, became the first Indian batsman to score a hundred in his maiden ODI, in first of the three-match series against Zimbabwe in Harare.
The 24-year-old right handed batsman achieved the feat when he smashed a sky-rise six off Hamilton Masakadza which were also the finishing runs that helped India register a massive 9-wicket win over the hosts.
Before Rahul’s unbeaten 100, Robin Uthappa’s 86 against England in Indore in 2006 was the highest score by an Indian player on his ODI debut.
Chasing an easy target of 169, the new-faced Indian team got off to a bad start as they lost their other opener Karun Nair in the fifth over of the innings.
However, KL Rahul, with his unbeaten 100 made an excellent partnership of 162 runs with Ambati Rayudu (62 runs off 120 balls) for the second wicket helping India take a 1-0 lead in the series.
With his extravagant innings, KL Rahul became the 11th batsman to score a century on his ODI debut. Other players to have reached the coveted landmark are:
- David Amiss (England)
- Desmond Haynes (West Indies)
- Andy Flower (Zimbabwe)
- Saleem Elahi (Pakistan)
- Martin Guptill (New Zealand)
- Colin Ingram (South Africa)
- Rob Nicol (New Zealand)
- Phil Hughes (Australia)
- Michael Lumb (England)
- Mark Chapman (Hong Kong)
