Estonia's Sahil Chauhan Sets New Record For Fastest T20 Century

Estonia batter Sahil Chauhan on Monday (June 17) broke West Indies legend Chris Gayle's record for the fastest century in T20 cricket history by reaching the milestone in just 27 balls during a T20I against Cyprus at the Happy Valley Ground in Episkopi, Cyprus.

Gayle had held the record for the quickest hundred in the shortest format with a 30-ball century for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2013 against Pune Warriors.

However, that near-decade-long record was broken during a bilateral series between Estonia and Cyprus which consists of six matches. During his knock of 144* in just 41 balls, Sahil smashed six boundaries and 18 sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of over 351.

• Sahil Chauhan (Estonia) - 27 balls vs Cyprus in 2024
• Chris Gayle (RCB) - 30 balls vs Pune Warriors India in 2013
• Rishabh Pant (Delhi) - 32 balls vs Himachal Pradesh in 2018
• Wihan Lubbe (North West) - 33 balls vs Limpopo in 2018
• Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (Namibia) - 33 balls vs Nepal in 2024

The fastest T20I century earlier belonged to Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton of Namibia, who smashed a 33-ball ton against Nepal in February 2024. Sahil's effort is also the fastest century in T20I cricket. Here is a look at the fastest centuries in T20I:

Fastest T20I Centuries List

• Sahil Chauhan (Estonia) - 27 balls vs Cyprus in 2024
• Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (Namibia) - 33 balls vs Nepal in 2024
• David Miller (South Africa) - 35 balls vs Bangladesh in 2017
• Rohit Sharma (India) - 35 balls vs Sri Lanka in 2017
• Zeeshan Kukikhel (Hungary) - 35 balls vs Austria in 2022
• Johnson Charles (West Indies) - 39 balls vs South Africa in 2023

The 144-run knock of Sahil included 18 sixes, the most by a player in a men's T20I innings, outdoing Afghanistan's Hazratullah Zazai and New Zealand's Finn Allen, who had 16 sixes each in their record-breaking knocks of 162 and 137.

Sahil's 18 sixes also took him level with Gayle for most sixes in a single innings of a T20 match. Gayle had smashed 18 maximums in a Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match in 2017. Here is a look at the most sixes in a single innings by a player in T20 cricket:

Most Sixes in a T20 innings by a player

• Chris Gayle (Rangpur Riders) - 18 sixes vs Dhaka Dynamites in 2017
• Sahil Chauhan (Estonia) - 18 sixes vs Cyprus in 2024
• Chris Gayle (RCB) - 17 sixes vs Pune Warriors India in 2013
• Punit Bisht (Meghalaya) - 17 sixes vs Mizoram in 2021
• Graham Napier (Essex) - 16 sixes vs Sussex in 2008

Sahil Chauhan's record-breaking performance has set a new benchmark for future cricketers aiming to make their mark on the international stage. His achievement not only highlights his individual talent but also brings attention to Estonia's growing presence in international cricket.