Starting big: Five youngest centurions in ODI cricket
The game of cricket is renowned as one of the most loved sports across the globe. The remarkable sport features a plethora of players striving hard to make a place for themselves in their respective national teams. It is always a proud moment for any cricketer to don his country’s colours and represent it at the international level. In the history of the gentleman’s game, there have been many players who made their debut for their senior side while they were still in their teenage years.
Though many of them have failed to make a mark and have fizzled away from the memory of the fans, there have been a handful of players who had a dream run for their senior teams in their teenage. Such players were a vital cog of their respective national teams and established themselves in the world of cricket by smashing centuries and scoring a lot of runs. In this article, let’s take a look at the 5 youngest cricketers to have scored a century in One Day Internationals.
Pakistan’s great Shahid Afridi holds the record of being the youngest batsman ever in any format of the game to score a century. Being hailed as a prodigy cricketer, Afridi made his international debut for Pakistan in 1996 at the tender age of 16. In his 2nd ODI match against Sri Lanka on October 4, 1996 Afridi was promoted up the batting order and he smashed his maiden ODI 100 in just 37 deliveries. The 16 years and 217 days old all-rounder brought his maiden century by smashing 11 sixes and 6 fours at a strike rate of 255 in Nairobi.
Afridi is followed by Afghanistan’s Usman Ghani who scored his maiden ODI ton at an age of 17 years and 242 days to become the youngest Afghan player and second youngest cricketer in the world to achieve this feat. On July 20, 2014, in a match against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo, Ghani amassed 118 runs off 143 balls including 12 fours and a six.
The third name in this list is Pakistan’s Imran Nazir who played a knock of 105* at the age of 18 years and 312 days against Zimbabwe on April 15, 2000. Chasing a target of 208 posted by Zimbabwe on the board, the aggressive opening batsman Nazir smashed 105* runs, which included 10 fours and 2 sixes to ensure his team’s victory.
Imran Nazir is followed by his countrymen Saleem Elahi who played his debut match at the age of 18 years and 312 days. Elahi scored a century in his first match to feature in this list. While playing against Sri Lanka on September 29, 1995, Pakistan were chasing a modest total of 234 when the debutant opener Saleem Elahi made headlines with his splendid knock of unbeaten 102 off 133 deliveries. His innings comprised 7 boundaries and 1 six.
The last name to feature in this list is Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal who surprised the cricket fraternity with his splendid batting as an opener. In an ODI against Ireland on March 22, 2008, the 19 years and 2 days old Iqbal smashed 129 runs off 136 balls to take his team to victory. The knock was laden with 15 fours and a solitary six. At the age of 19, he became the youngest centurion for Bangladesh and fourth youngest in International cricket at that time.
