OTD In 2017: Rohit Sharma Blasted Joint-Fastest T20I Century In 35 Balls

Rohit Sharma in blazing mode against Sri Lanka in 2017 [Source: @BCCI/x]

On this day back in 2017, Rohit Sharma took charge for Team India and muscled the second of his five T20I centuries to date, doing so against a visiting Sri Lankan attack in record time. Clattering 11 boundaries and eight sixes at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, the then interim Indian skipper brought up his 100 from just 35 deliveries to level up with David Miller for the record of fastest hundred in T20I cricket.

When Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball ton steamrolled Sri Lanka

Rohit Sharma notched up his second T20I century in the second match of Sri Lanka’s all-format tour of India back in late-2017. The then interim Indian captain shared 165 runs with opening partner KL Rahul from just 12.4 overs, and himself smeared 118 runs in all from 43 balls with 12 blazing boundaries and 10 scorching maximums.

The legendary Indian opener brought up his century from just the 35th delivery of his innings to level up with David Miller’s two-month-old record for the fastest hundred in T20I cricket. By the time of reaching his century, Sharma had already clattered 11 fours and eight sixes against the likes of Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep and promising Sri Lankan spin wizard Akila Dananjaya.

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Rohit Sharma eventually fell to a slower bouncer from Chameera for 118 in just the 13th over of the Indian innings, with many considering it to be a lost opportunity of witnessing T20I cricket’s first-ever double hundred.

Nonetheless, Sharma and David Miller’s record of 35-ball tons have since been broken four times in T20I cricket, with the fastest of them being Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan’s 27-ball hundred against Cyprus back in June this year.

Fastest T20I centuries

What was once the fastest T20I century of all time, Rohit Sharma’s batting mayhem from December 2017 is now the fifth-joint fastest alongside David Miller. Here is a look at all batters in T20I history with centuries from 35 or lesser balls to their names.

Rohit Sharma also holds the record of making the joint-highest number of T20I centuries. With five tons in the format, Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is the only other cricketer in history to have matched the feat.

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