Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI May 2026 Pallekele — Rahmanullah Gurbaz's 124 vs Wanindu Hasaranga

Afghanistan's rise as an ODI nation has been written through a few specific innings. Mohammad Nabi's 80 against Australia at the 2015 World Cup. Hashmatullah Shahidi's hundred against England in 2023. Now Rahmanullah Gurbaz's 124 at Pallekele on May 12 — a chanceless opening hundred against a Sri Lanka side at home that included Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. Afghanistan won the 1st ODI by 31 runs and the score told you everything about what Afghanistan can do away from home now.

Phase one: the opener's plan

Rahmanullah Gurbaz at 24 is one of the youngest established opening batters in world cricket. He has played 73 ODIs and now averages 35 with five hundreds. The Pallekele innings was the fourth of those. The plan was clear from the team meeting — take Maheesh Theekshana's overs on, hit Wanindu Hasaranga out of the attack early, and bat through to the death.

Gurbaz opened with Ibrahim Zadran. The new ball came from Dushmantha Chameera and Asitha Fernando. Gurbaz played out the first six overs cautiously — 18 not out off 22, with two boundaries. Ibrahim fell to Chameera in the eighth over for 14. Rahmat Shah came in at three and the second-wicket partnership of 79 in 14 overs lifted Afghanistan to 124 for 1 at the halfway mark.

What the numbers say

Gurbaz's 124 broke into a clear acceleration map. Phase one (balls 1-30): 22 runs at strike rate 73.3, two boundaries. Phase two (balls 31-65): 39 runs at strike rate 111.4, three boundaries and a six. Phase three (balls 66-104): 63 runs at strike rate 161.5, five sixes and four fours.

The matchup splits: against Maheesh Theekshana 28 off 27, against Wanindu Hasaranga 21 off 18, against Charith Asalanka (the part-time off-spinner who bowled four overs) 16 off 8, against Asitha Fernando 14 off 14, against Dushmantha Chameera 22 off 18. The Hasaranga matchup was the kill — Gurbaz hit two sixes in the same over against the leg-spinner in the 32nd over.

The Hasaranga wrong'un matchup

Wanindu Hasaranga has been Sri Lanka's premier leg-spinner for five years. His wrong'un is the variation that has dismissed top-quality batters around the world. The Pallekele innings was Gurbaz's second time facing Hasaranga in an ODI — the previous match had Gurbaz fall to him for 18.

This time the plan was the opposite. Gurbaz watched the wrong'un closely from the hand, picked the slightly different release point, and either left it or hit through the line. In the 32nd over Hasaranga bowled three wrong'uns and one stock leg-spinner. Gurbaz hit two of the wrong'uns for six over long-on. The over went for 15.

The matchup-data shift was visible in real time. Hasaranga's wrong'un percentage in that one over was 75 — higher than his career mark of 22. The plan was clear: try to bowl the wrong'un to Gurbaz on a slow surface where he had to manufacture power. Gurbaz had read it.

The Afghan total

Afghanistan finished on 287 for 7 in 50 overs. Gurbaz's 124 was the spine. Rahmat Shah added 42 off 51. Mohammad Nabi at six finished 31 not out off 22, including two sixes in the 49th over off Asitha Fernando's slower-ball yorker. The death-overs hitting from Nabi pushed Afghanistan from 240 in the 46th to 287 in the 50th.

The Sri Lanka bowling figures: Hasaranga 1/56 in 10, Theekshana 1/41 in 10, Asitha Fernando 2/49 in 10, Dushmantha Chameera 2/61 in 10. The economy of all four bowlers was above six — Pallekele's surface gave little help.

The Sri Lanka chase

Sri Lanka chased 288 with Kusal Mendis (54) and Pathum Nissanka (38) doing the early work. The middle order faltered against Rashid Khan. The 32-year-old leg-spinner took 3 for 51 in 10 overs. The wickets included Charith Asalanka, Dunith Wellalage, and the captain Wanindu Hasaranga at six.

Mohammad Nabi added 2 for 39 in 8 overs. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 256 in the 47th over with Dushmantha Chameera making 24 at the end.

What it means for Afghanistan's away ODI arc

Afghanistan's away ODI record over the last three years has been the missing piece of their cricket story. They have won at home against Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka but the away matches in similar conditions have been losses. The Pallekele win moves their 2026 away record to 2-1.

The Gurbaz innings is the kind of opener's knock that wins matches in away conditions. The 24-year-old has the technique to anchor for 25 overs and the power to break out in the last 15. The combination is what makes him Afghanistan's most valuable batter.

The forward view

The second ODI is at Kandy on May 16. The surface there tends to grip more than Pallekele for spinners. Sri Lanka will likely add a third spinner — possibly Praveen Jayawickrama — to push Hasaranga and Theekshana's overs around. Afghanistan will need to find a way past Theekshana, who has the carrom-ball matchup that Gurbaz has not solved yet.

What to watch next: how Sri Lanka address the Gurbaz matchup at Kandy — three-spinner attack or back the pace pair.

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