Ishan Kishan Becomes Second-Fastest Indian to Score List A Century

Ahmedabad: Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan produced a stunning exhibition of power-hitting, hammering a 33-ball century against Karnataka in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

The blistering knock stands as the second-fastest hundred by an Indian in List A cricket, just one delivery slower than the national record set earlier the same day by Bihar captain Sakibul Gani, who reached the milestone in 32 balls against Arunachal Pradesh.

Kishan’s latest achievement continues an exceptional run of form for the left-hander. Only days earlier, he earned a surprise call-up to India’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, shortly after leading Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) title.

During the SMAT campaign, Kishan emerged as the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 517 runs and played a match-winning role in the final against Haryana, where he struck a ferocious 45-ball century. That knock made him only the second player to score a hundred in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final and the third-fastest centurion in a men’s T20 final. With five centuries in the tournament, he also equalled Abhishek Sharma’s record for the most hundreds in SMAT history.

Kishan’s explosive credentials are equally well established at the international level. He holds the record for the fastest double century in One-Day Internationals, having reached the landmark in just 126 balls against Bangladesh in 2022.

Wednesday’s Vijay Hazare Trophy action featured several remarkable performances. Bihar’s young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi grabbed attention with a 36-ball century, which he later converted into a sensational 190 off 84 balls. He was followed in the same innings by Gani’s record-breaking ton and Ayush Loharuka’s 56-ball 116, as Bihar piled up a massive 574 against Arunachal Pradesh.

Later in the day, Kishan came agonisingly close to surpassing Gani’s record, falling short by the narrowest of margins with his 33-ball hundred. He eventually finished with 125 off just 39 deliveries as Jharkhand posted a formidable 412/9.

On the back of his outstanding domestic performances, Kishan has earned a return to the international setup, having been named in India’s T20I squad for the five-match series against New Zealand as well as the T20 World Cup scheduled for February 2026.

With inputs from IANS