England's Phil Salt has just etched his name into the history books, smashing the fastest-ever T20I century by an English player! This incredible feat was achieved against South Africa in Manchester, leaving Proteas bowlers reeling.
Salt reached his century in a blistering 39 balls, surpassing Liam Livingstone's previous record. The innings was a masterclass in power hitting and precision, showcasing Salt's ability to dominate from the first ball.
The record-breaking knock was built on a foundation laid by Jos Buttler, who himself was in devastating form. Buttler smashed 83 runs off just 30 balls, including an 18-ball fifty, the third-fastest by an English batter in T20Is. Talk about a powerplay blitz!
Salt's innings wasn't just about brute force. He displayed incredible timing and cricketing intelligence, highlighted by a free hit driven through mid-on for four, followed by a composed single and a clever dab off Kagiso Rabada.
Salt Joins Elite Company
This century also makes Phil Salt one of the fastest to four T20I hundreds, achieving the mark in just 42 innings. That's faster than India's Suryakumar Yadav! Only Glenn Maxwell and Rohit Sharma have more T20I hundreds, placing Salt amongst the absolute best in the world.
T20I Century Leaders:
- Glenn Maxwell: 5 hundreds (114 innings)
- Rohit Sharma: 5 hundreds (151 innings)
- Suryakumar Yadav: 4 hundreds (80 innings)
- Phil Salt: 4 hundreds (42 innings)
This is a moment South African cricket fans won't easily forget, but one that English fans will celebrate for years to come. Phil Salt, remember the name!