Delhi’s wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant was abruptly sacked from captaincy a week ago, and on Sunday (14th January), he gave another example of his rare talent by blasting a record 32- ball hundred in a North Zone match against Himachal Pradesh in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.
Pant pummelled the opposition attack with the fastest century by an Indian to fire his team to a 10-wicket win. Pant remained unbeaten on 116 off 38 balls. His breathtaking knock composed of 12 sixes and eight fours as Delhi raced to the 145-run target in just 11.4 overs.
Gautam Gambhir was left a mere spectator at the other end with 30 off 33 balls. His brutal innings was also the second fastest hundred in T20s, only behind Chris Gayle, who hammered 100 off 30 balls against Pune Warriors India during the Indian Premier League in 2013.
The southpaw also surpassed Rohit Sharma, who hit a 35 ball hundred against Sri Lanka in T20 International at Indore last month. In 2016, Pant had smashed India’s fastest first-class hundred off 48 balls.
Pant’s performance against Himachal left a handful of spectators at the Ferozshah Kotla awestruck, including Yuvraj Singh, who witnessed a special knock by another left-hander before taking the field for Punjab.
Just witnessed some outstanding hitting by @RishabPant777 scintillating ton #delhivshimachal
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) January 14, 2018
Former India Test opener Aakash Chopra also appreciated Pant for his brilliance.
Pant smashes the fastest T20 Hundred by an Indian….second fastest ever. Cometh the format, cometh the man 😊🙌
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 14, 2018
Here’s how other Twitter users reacted to Rishabh Pant’s scintillating knock:
Rishabh Pant has smashed a 100 off 32 balls for Delhi in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy – the 2nd fastest century in T20 history.
Only Chris Gayle’s 30-ball century for RCB v PWI in IPL 2013 is faster.
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) January 14, 2018
What an inning young man @RishabPant777
116* off just 38 Balls
12 Sixes,8 Fours#delhivshimachal #Delhi #RishabhPant #BigFan— Shubham Borade-Patil (@Shubh1mm) January 14, 2018
What a sensational knock! by our #DilliBoy @RishabPant777 against @himachalcricket , Fastest century by an Indian in T20 history and second 2️⃣ fastest in the world, 116 of 38 balls, Congrats to the young lad! @DDCA_Cricket #ZonalT20 #SyedMushtaqAliTrophy2018
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) January 14, 2018
https://twitter.com/siddartha200492/status/952442841304678405
Massive win by #Eng against #Aus scoring record #305 highest chase at @MCG led by @JasonRoy20 for his massive 180 and @root66 also kudos to @AaronFinch5 for his ton! #AUSvENG @ECB_cricket @CricketAus
— Hemant Dua हेमंत दुआ (@inspiranti) January 14, 2018
Fastest Centuries in TWENTY20 Cricket:
30 balls – Chris Gayle v PWI, 2013
32 balls – RISHABH PANT v Himachal, Today
34 balls – Andrew Symonds v Middlesex, 2004
35 balls – LP van der Westhuizen v Kenya, 2011
35 balls – David Miller v BAN, 2017
35 balls – Rohit Sharma v SL, 2017— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats) January 14, 2018
@RishabPant777 at his hammering best. Scores 116 not out off just 38 balls. Delhi hunts down 148 to beat Himachal by 10 wickets. @ABPCricketHindi @abpnewstv
— G. S. Vivek (@GSV1980) January 14, 2018
https://twitter.com/Iam_Abhi45/status/952434196844195840
https://twitter.com/SRKianAbhi/status/952433480670957568
