Sikandar Raza Registered the Fastest Century in T20Is

Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza made headlines on Wednesday by smashing a dazzling century in just 33 balls during a T20 World Cup Sub Regional Africa Qualifier Group B match against Gambia. Raza’s unbeaten 133-run innings helped his team to post a massive total of 344/4, setting a new record for the highest-ever score in men’s T20Is. His breathtaking innings featured 7 fours and 15 towering sixes, earning him the title of the fastest century scored by a player from a Test-playing nation.

While Raza narrowly missed out on the global record for the fastest century in T20Is (held by Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan with 27 balls), his remarkable feat stands as the third-fastest century overall and the quickest by any full-time member nation cricketer. He completed his century in the 18th over, blasting Gambia’s bowling attack all over the ground.

 

Zimbabwe Sets T20I Records

Zimbabwe’s batting lineup showed no mercy, setting a record-breaking total of 344/4, surpassing Nepal’s previous highest T20I score of 314/3 set in 2023 against Mongolia. Opening batter Tadiwanashe Marumani contributed with a lightning-fast 62 off 19 balls, while Brian Bennett and Clive Madande added to the carnage with half-centuries of their own. The team combined to hit 27 sixes, creating another record for most sixes in a single T20I innings.

 

Fastest T20I century by a Test-playing nation player

(i) Sikandar Raza – 33 balls vs Gambia

(ii) David Miller – 35 balls vs Bangladesh

(iii) Rohit Sharma – 35 balls vs Sri Lanka

(iv) Johnson Charles – 39 balls vs South Africa

(v) Sanju Samson – 40 balls vs Bangladesh

 

Raza’s Race Among the Fastest Centurions

Sikandar Raza’s incredible achievement places him alongside some of the fastest centurions in T20I cricket. His 33-ball century ties him with Namibia’s Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, both ranking behind Chauhan. The diverse list of players who have registered quick centuries includes global superstars like David Miller and Rohit Sharma, emphasizing the evolving and dynamic nature of T20 cricket.

 

Fastest Centuries in T20Is:

(i) Sahil Chauhan (Estonia) – 27 balls

(ii) Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (Namibia) – 33 balls

(iii) Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) – 33 balls

(iv) Kushal Malla (Nepal) – 34 balls

(v) David Miller (South Africa) – 35 balls

(vi) Rohit Sharma (India) – 35 balls

(vii) Sudesh Wickramasekara (Czech Republic) – 35 balls

(viii) Sivakumar Periyalwar (Romania) – 39 balls

(ix) Zeeshan Kukikhel (Hungary) – 39 balls

(x) Johnson Charles (West Indies) – 39 balls

 

Most Sixes in An Innings in T20s

(i) 18 – Sahil Chauhan – vs Cyprus, Episkopi, 2024

(ii) 16 – Hazratullah Zazai – vs Ireland, Dehradun, 2019

(iii) 16 – Finn Allen – vs Pakistan, Dunedin, 2024

(iv) 15 – Sikandar Raza vs Gambia, Nairobi, 2024

(v) 15 – Zeeshan Kukikhel – vs Austria, Lower, Austria, 2022

 

Highest Men’s T20I Totals In The History Of The Game

(i) Zimbabwe – 344/4 vs Gambia, 2024

(ii) Nepal – 314/3 vs Mongolia, 2023

(iii) India – 297/6 vs Bangladesh, 2024

(iv) Zimbabwe – 286/5 vs Seychelles, 2024

(v) Afghanistan – 278/3 vs Ireland, 2019

 

Raza’s historic innings did not only break individual records but also led Zimbabwe to dominate in a match that saw them set a new record for the highest T20I total. Gambia’s response was overwhelmed as they were bowled out for just 54 runs, cementing Zimbabwe’s biggest-ever margin of victory by 290 runs. As Zimbabwe progresses through the qualifier stages, Raza’s performance will be remembered as a defining moment in T20 cricket history.