Home
After facing disappointment at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, former Gujarat Titans (GT) wicketkeeper-batter Urvil Patel has smashed the second-fastest hundred in T20 cricket history from just 28 balls. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024 clash between Gujarat and Tripura, opener Urvil scored an unbeaten 113 off 35 balls to make light work of the 156-run target.
Urvil missed breaking the T20 world record for fastest century by just one ball. Estonia's Sahil Chauhan holds the record with a 27-ball century against Cyprus he scored earlier this year. For India, the record belongs to Rishabh Pant who scored a 32-ball century for Delhi against Himachal Pradesh in 2018 edition of SMAT.
Easy win for Gujarat
Earlier, Tripura posted 155/8 on the board against Axar Patel-led Gujarat at Emerald Heights International School Ground, Indore. Opener Sridam Paul top-scored with 49-ball 57 featuring four fours and as many sixes. Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi was expensive as he conceded 38 runs from his quota of four overs. Pacer Arzan Nagwaswalla was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets for 35 runs. Chintan Gaja took two wickets whereas skipper Axar and Visha B Jayswal got one wicket apiece.
In the run chase, Urvil went after the bowlers as his opening partner Aarya Desai played second fiddle. The wicketkeeper-batter reached his half-century from just 15 balls. He batted with a strike rate of 322.86. His unbeaten 113 off 35 deliveries was studded with seven fours and 12 sixes. Desai departed after scoring 38 runs from 24 balls. Jayswal departed for a two-ball duck but they were just consolation wickets for Tripura. Gujarat chased down the 156-run target with eight wickets in hand and 58 balls to spare.
ALSO READ: Shubman Gill ruled out of pink-ball game, final call for Adelaide Test yet to be taken
Unsold in auction
Urvil was part of GT's squad for two years. He was picked in the IPL 2022 mega auction. In two seasons, he did not get to make his IPL debut. In IPL 2025 mega auction, he had a base price of Rs 30 lakh but found no takers.
This was Urvil's maiden T20 century. The closest he has got is 96 so far. From 43 T20s, he has scored 875 runs at an average of 20.83 including four half-centuries. His strike rate is 154.32. Against Mizoram, he hit nearly half of his entire T20 career's sixes.
