On this day in 2017: Rohit Sharma slams fastest T20I century by an Indian cricketer

In the second T20I of a three-match series against Sri Lanka, Rohit Sharma made history on December 22, 2017, smashing a century off 35 balls. The venue for this match was Indore’s Holkar Cricket Stadium, which is renowned for having some of the best batting surfaces in the nation.

Rohit and KL Rahul, the Indian openers, dominated the opposing bowlers after Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to play first.

Rohit Sharma stole the show and made fun of the boundary ropes, but Rahul had some stunning strokes during his innings.

Only 35 balls were needed for the Indian captain to achieve the three-figure mark. For an Indian player playing T20I cricket, this was the fastest century ever. He tied David Miller’s record for the fastest century in Twenty20 Internationals as well. Even though players like Sahil Chauhan, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Sikandar Raza, and Kushal Malla have produced T20I hundreds with fewer deliveries in the past seven years, Rohit’s fiery knock will always have a special place in cricket legend.

During his incredible innings of 118 off 43 balls, the Nagpur native hit 12 fours and 10 sixes. In over 13, Dushmantha Chameera got rid of him. If he had batted all 20 overs, many believe he may have become the first batter to score a double century in the format. Rohit’s final strike rate was an incredible 274.41.

India scored 260/5 in their 20 overs after Rahul added 89 off of 49 balls. India’s outstanding first innings total was made possible by the opening partnership, which scored 165 runs in 13 overs.

Upul Tharanga contributed a 29-ball 47 in response, while Kusal Perera hit an incredible 77 from 37 balls. The Sri Lankans were bowled out for 172 in 17.2 overs, however, falling well short of the Indian score. By an overwhelming 88-run score, the home team prevailed in the game. Although Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, two Indian spinners, were costly, they each took four and three wickets.