Namibia Star Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton Smashes Fastest-Ever T20I Hundred

Fastest century by any player in the history -

In men's cricket, Namibia's Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton has smashed the record for the fastest T20I century. In the first game of the tri-nation series in Nepal, he reached the milestone.

He beat Nepal's Kushal Malla's record by one ball as he reached his century in 33 balls while playing against the home team. Loftie-Eaton scored 101 off 36 balls in total, including eight sixes and eleven fours. In T20Is, he scored the most runs (92 in boundaries) of any batter.

Malla's achievement occurred in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, when Nepal defeated Mongolia 314 to 3. In the identical encounter, Dipendra Singh Airee achieved the fastest T20I fifty, scoring it in just nine balls. Coincidentally, Malla was watching from the pitch as Loftie-Eaton broke the record off Airee's bowling.

Loftie-Eaton came out to bat in the 11th over with Namibia at 62 for 3, having elected to bat. In the first six balls he faced, he struck two sixes and a four to get things started. In 18 balls, he reached his fifty.

He contributed 135 off 52 balls for the fourth wicket with Malan Kruger, helping Namibia reach 206 for 4. At 59 off 48 balls, Kruger, who had opened the innings, was still undefeated.

Later, Nepal was bowled out for 186 in the 19th over, and Loftie-Eaton took 2 for 29 from his three overs.