New Delhi: Today we look back at a historic moment in the sport. Shahid Afridi, the former captain of Pakistan, set a blistering pace to score a century in only 37 deliveries. In a strange twist of fate, the equipment he used for this record-breaking knock was actually a bat owned by the 'Master Blaster,' Sachin Tendulkar.
Afridi used the bat of Sachin:
The story goes that before his second match against Sri Lanka, Afridi found himself without his gear. To help him out, Saqlain Mushtaq lent him a helmet and pads, while the bat he used happened to be Tendulkar's. With that borrowed equipment, Afridi played an unforgettable innings that captivated fans worldwide.
At just 16 years and 217 days old, Afridi made history on October 4, 1996, in Nairobi against Sri Lanka. During this explosive performance, he smashed 11 sixes, matching Sanath Jayasuriya's record for the most sixes in a single ODI. He even outpaced Jayasuriya's scoring rate, racking up 41 runs in just 11 balls. Thanks to this onslaught, Pakistan posted a massive 371 runs in 50 overs, which stood as the second-highest ODI total at the time.Afridi made the record at the age of 16:
This record was made by Afridi against Sri Lanka in Nairobi on October 4, 1996, when he was just 16 years and 217 days old. He hit 11 sixes in this magnificent innings, and also equaled Jayasuriya’s record of scoring the most sixes in ODI innings. Not only this, Afridi scored 41 runs in 11 balls from Jayasuriya. After Afridi’s excellent innings, Pakistan made a huge score of 371 in 50 overs, which was then the second highest score of One Day Internationals at that time.
records were broken after 17 years:
Afridi's record stood unchallenged for 17 years until 2014, when New Zealand's CJ Anderson hit a century in 36 balls against the West Indies. However, in 2015, South Africa's AB de Villiers raised the bar even higher, smashing a century in a mere 31 balls against the West Indies. De Villiers currently holds the world record.