Records are meant to be broken. Indian-origin Estonian batter Saurav Chauhan proved it right as he smashed the fastest T20I century from just 27 balls after a top-order collapse. While batters have struggled to hit big for a better part of the ongoing T20 World Cup, Chauhan smashed as many as 18 sixes in his unbeaten 144.
All batters left behind
Chauhan broke Namibian batter Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton's record for fastest century from just 33 balls. He got the record in his name on February 27, 2024. For full-member nations, South Africa's David Miller and Rohit Sharma hold the record with their respective 35-ball centuries in the year 2017.
It is also the fastest century in all T20s. Former West Indies opener held the previous record with a 30-ball 100 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) against now-defunct Pune Warriors India in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
Chauhan dominates run chase
In the run chase of 192 against Cyprus at Episkopi, Chauhan came in to bat in the first over. He got off the mark with a six. After the third wicket fell in the fifth over, Chauhan went on an all out attack. In the last over of powerplay overs, he hit Mangala Gunasekara for four sixes and a four. He reached his half-century from just 14 balls. Another wicket fell at the other end but it did not affect Chauhan who continued to clear the boundary with ease. He reached his century with a six in the ninth over.
At the halfway stage, Estonia were 154/4. On the last ball of the 13th over, he finished the run chase with a boundary. His unbeaten 41-ball 144 was studded with 18 sixes and six fours. Estonia beat Cyprus by six wickets with seven overs to spare.
The 32-year-old’s unbeaten 144 is also the fifth-highest individual score in T20Is. The record of Aaron Finch (172) would have been in danger had the target been bigger.
The new Sixer King
Chauhan's 18 sixes are the most by a batter in a T20I knock. The previous record belonged to Afghanistan's Hazratullah Zazai and New Zealand's Finn Allen who have hit 16 sixes each in an innings. Also in T20s, Gayle had hit 17 sixes in his unbeaten 175.
Chauhan’s T20I numbers
Chauhan made his T20I debut for Estonia in September 2023. He registered scores of 16*, 2* and 0 in his first three innings. Before scoring an unbeaten 144, he bagged a duck on the same day against Cyprus.
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