Today, 20 years ago on October 4, 1996, Shahid Afridi registered his name in the history of cricket. 16-year-old Afridi, who was playing his first innings in international cricket, thrashed Sri Lanka all round the park.
Afridi came in the squad as a leg-spinner who replaced injured Mushtaq Ahmed. He played his first game against Kenya on October 2, 1996. He went wicketless and didn’t get a chance to bat in that game.
However, in his second game against Sri Lanka, he came one-down as a pinch hitter. And how much it pinched Sri Lanka was for the world to see.
He destroyed the bowling attack with his batting prowess. With 11 huge sixes, he raised his ton in just 37 balls. Not only it was the fastest century in ODI then, he also became the youngest player to score a century in an One-Day Internationals. Afridi was 16-years 217 days old when he achieved the feat.
WATCH: Shahid Afridi’s fastest century
(Video Courtesy: YouTube.com/Cric Chamber)
It took 18 years and the might of Kiwi all-rounder Corey Anderson to break Afridi’s record. Anderson took 36 balls against West Indies to score the fastest century in ODIs. On January 1st, 2014, the left-handed batsman hit 14 sixes and six fours in his innings of 131. He faced 47 balls in the innings and remained not out.
WATCH: Corey Anderson breaks Shahid Afridi’s record
(Video Courtesy: YouTube.com/HameedHighlights)
A year later in 2015, AB de Villiers took on the same opposition. He showed how T-20 cricket is played in an ODI as he smashed 16 sixes and nine fours in his innings of 149 from 44 balls. On January 18th, 2015, he became the fastest batsman to score a century in ODI cricket in just 31 balls.
WATCH: AB de Villiers breaks the record for the fastest century in ODIs
(Video Courtesy: YouTube.com/charitra jain)
