Sahil Chauhan shattered Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton’s record for the fastest T20I century in men’s cricket, reaching the milestone in just 27 balls during the second T20I of Estonia tour of Cyprus 2024.
Sahil Chauhan sets new T20I records
Chauhan’s explosive performance also saw him set a new record for the most sixes in a men’s T20I innings, with a staggering 18 maximums.
Batting first, Cyprus posted a competitive total of 191 for 7. Estonia’s chase began disastrously, losing both openers within the first eight balls for a mere nine runs.
Chauhan, however, turned the game on its head from the moment he stepped to the crease. Facing Buddika Mahesh, he immediately launched into action, smashing 6, 4 and 6 off his first three legal deliveries. Despite losing his partners Stuart Hook and Steffan Gooch soon after, leaving Estonia at 60 for 4 in the seventh over, Chauhan was undeterred. By this time, he had already raced to 66 off just 17 balls, including five fours and three sixes.
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The fireworks began in earnest in the sixth over of the chase, where Chauhan took Mangala Gunasekara to the cleaners, hitting 4 sixes and a four to reach his fifty off just 14 balls. He continued his onslaught, smashing four more sixes off Chamal Sadun in the eighth over and three more off Neeraj Tiwari in the ninth, the last of which brought up his century.
Chauhan’s relentless hitting continued as he steered Estonia to victory, sealing the chase with a boundary off James Chialoufas on the final ball of the 13th over. He finished with an astonishing strike rate of 351.21, leaving spectators and opponents in awe.
Estonia's Sahil Chauhan just scored the fastest T20I ton! 💥
He mustered 1️⃣4️⃣4️⃣ not out off just 41 balls helping Estonia chase 192 vs Cyprus.#EuropeanCricket #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/rJginXLQp5
— European Cricket (@EuropeanCricket) June 17, 2024
Summary of records set by Sahil Chauhan
- Fastest T20I Century: 27 balls (previous record: Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton)
- Most Sixes in a Men’s T20I Innings: 18
Chauhan’s performance has not only etched his name in the record books but also provided a spectacular showcase of T20 cricket at its most thrilling.
