Anmolpreet Singh hits third-fastest List A century off just 35 balls in Vijay Hazare Trophy

Anmolpreet Singh, the Punjab top-order batter, has gone into the record books for hitting the third-fastest List A century, his 35-ball effort putting him at No. 3 on the all-time list. Only Jake Fraser-McGurk (29 balls) and AB de Villiers (31) sit above him.

Walking out at No. 3 against Arunachal Pradesh in a Vijay Hazare Trophy game in Ahmedabad after the fall of captain Abhishek Sharma in the second over, Anmolpreet got to his century with 11 fours and eight sixes. While all the Arunachal Pradesh bowlers went for plenty – left-arm spinner Hardik Verma was the most economical at 9.52 – he took a special liking to offspinner Techi Neri, who conceded 31 runs in his only over.

Thanks to Anmolpreet’s blitz, Punjab overhauled Arunachal Pradesh’s 164 in just 12.5 overs for a nine-wicket win. Anmolpreet finished with 115 in 45 balls, hitting one more six and one more four after crossing the three-figure mark. Abhishek’s opening partner Prabhsimran Singh was the other unbeaten batter with a relatively sedate 35 in 25 balls.

De Villiers had broken the record for the quickest List A century – it’s still the fastest ODI century – when he scored 149 in 44 balls for South Africa against West Indies in Johannesburg in January 2015. That broke the List A and ODI record of 36 balls, by Corey Anderson of New Zealand against West Indies in 2014. De Villiers’ List A record stood till Fraser-McGurk took just 29 balls to get there for South Australia against Tasmania – in a losing effort – in the Marsh Cup in October 2023.

Anmolpreet, who has in the past played for Mumbai Indians (MI) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL, though with moderate returns, went unsold in the latest IPL auction.