Published on: Nov 27, 2024 2:31 pm IST|Updated on: Nov 27, 2024 2:31 pm IST
In an exhibition of power-hitting, Gujarat’s Urvil Patel made cricketing history by smashing the fastest T20 century by an Indian, achieving the milestone in just 28 balls during a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Tripura.
This incredible feat also ranks as the second-fastest T20 hundred in the format’s history. The performance comes just days after Patel went unsold at the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, where franchises spent a staggering ₹639.15 crore in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but overlooked the Gujarat batter.
Chasing a modest target of 156, Patel unleashed a 35-ball rampage to remain unbeaten on 113, leading Gujarat to victory in just 10.2 overs. His innings featured:
Patel’s heroics broke the previous Indian record held by Rishabh Pant, who had smashed a 32-ball century for Delhi against Himachal Pradesh in 2018. Interestingly, Patel’s milestone came less than a year after he notched up the fastest one-day hundred in Vijay Hazare Trophy history.
Patel’s stunning performance gains further significance as it followed his omission from the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. Despite being part of the Gujarat Titans in the 2022 and 2023 IPL seasons, Patel never got a game to showcase his potential. His name didn’t come up even in the accelerated rounds of the recent auction, where teams scrambled to finalize their squads.
To add to the intrigue, Patel broke the T20 century record held by Rishabh Pant, who was the most expensive player at the Jeddah auction.
Patel’s record-breaking knock underscores his potential as one of India’s most explosive batters. His 978 T20 runs in 44 innings at a strike rate of over 150 already include four fifties, but this blistering century might be the turning point of his career.
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After such a record-breaking performance, franchises are likely to keep a close watch on Patel for potential injury replacements during the IPL season. Given his ability to change games in a matter of overs, it won’t be long before Patel makes his mark on the grandest T20 stage.