SMAT 2024: Urvil Patel Smashes Fastest T20 Ton By An Indian Batter, Breaks Pant's Record
"An outstanding performance to secure a brilliant 8-wicket victory over Tripura CA in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy! The spotlight shines on Urvil Patel, who created history by smashing the fastest century in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy history in just 28 balls!
"His explosive knock of 113 not out off 35 balls, including 7 boundaries and 12 towering sixes, has set a new benchmark in T20 cricket! Kudos to the entire team for their spirit and determination. Let’s keep this winning momentum going," Gujarat Cricket Association said in an Instagram post.
Urvil also broke the record held by Rishabh Pant for the fastest T20 ton by an India. Pant had hit a 32-ball hundred against Himachal Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy back in 2018 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. His century is now the second-fastest in men’s T20 cricket, only behind Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan, who scored a hundred off just 27 balls against Cyprus earlier this year.
The 26-year-old Urvil, who recently went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, took only 15 balls to hit his half-century and smashed seven fours and 12 sixes to eventually finish on an unbeaten 113 off 35 balls and a jaw-dropping strike-rate of 322.86. He was also aided by Aarya Desai making 38 not out from the other end as Gujarat completed the chase in just 10.2 overs to get an emphatic win in their Group B match.
The wickekeeper-batter was a member of IPL 2022 champions Gujarat Titans, who had signed him for Rs 20 lakh in the 2023 auction, before releasing him ahead of the 2024 auction.
Interestingly, at this very date last year, Urvil cracked the second-fastest List A ton by an Indian batter, when he hit unbeaten 41-ball 100 for Gujarat in their Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Arunachal Pradesh in Chandigarh.
Fastest centuries in T20 cricket:
27 balls - Sahil Chauhan - Estonia vs Cyprus - 2024
28 balls - Urvil Patel - Gujarat vs Tripura - 2024
30 balls - Chris Gayle - Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Pune Warriors - 2013
32 balls - Rishabh Pant - Delhi vs Himachal Pradesh - 2018
33 balls - Wihan Lubbe - North West vs Limpopo – 2018
32 balls - Rishabh Pant - Delhi vs Himachal Pradesh - 2018
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Article Source: IANS