Gujarat opener Urvil Patel on Tuesday smashed his second T20 century in just six days, in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Uttarakhand at the Emerald High School Ground. Patel blazed to a 36-ball hundred, leading Gujarat to a commanding eight-wicket victory in just 13.1 overs. Patel’s century made him the first batter in T20 cricket history to notch up two hundreds in fewer than 40 balls. This milestone comes hot on the heels of his record-breaking 28-ball century last week against Tripura on the same ground.

Chasing a target of 183, Patel unleashed a breathtaking assault, finishing unbeaten on 115 off just 41 deliveries. His innings included eight boundaries and 11 towering sixes, showcasing his ability to decimate any bowling attack. His onslaught ensured Gujarat comfortably achieved the target with 41 balls to spare.

In the earlier game, Patel smashed an unbeaten 113 off 35 balls while chasing a modest target of 156. His knock included 12 sixes and seven fours, propelling Gujarat to victory in just 10.2 overs. His century in 28 balls was the fastest by an Indian in T20 cricket, and his strike rate of 322.86 in that innings is second only to Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan, who hit a 27-ball hundred earlier this year.

Patel’s penchant for quick scoring isn’t new. Exactly a year before his first 28-ball T20 century, he smashed the second-fastest List A hundred in Indian cricket, reaching the milestone in just 41 balls against Arunachal Pradesh.

The 26-year-old was part of the Gujarat Titans squad for the IPL 2023 season, picked up for Rs 20 lakh. However, despite his explosive performances, Patel was released by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. He entered the IPL 2025 Mega Auction with a base price of Rs 30 lakh but went unsold.

Not every story has a happy ending in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions. As the IPL 2025 auction concluded, Gujarat batter Urvil Patel remained unsold, with none of the 10 franchises deciding to submit a bid for his services. Taking the setback to the chin, Urvil decided to put on a show in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for his state team, scoring the fastest ton ever witnessed in the T20 format by an Indian. Urvil took just 28 balls to reach the triple-digit score against Tripura on Wednesday.

Until yesterday, Rishabh Pant held the record for scoring the quickest T20 century for an Indian. He had hit a 32-ball ton against Himachal Pradesh in 2018 to claim the numero uno spot. Next on the list is Rohit Sharma who had hit a 35-ball century against Sri Lanka in 2017.

Urvil slots in at the No. 2 position in the list of batters with the fastest T20 ton globally. Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan holds that spot, having scored a 27-ball century against Cyprus earlier this year.

After getting his name written in the history books, Urvil recalled a conversation he had with India’s current T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav.

“He [Suryakumar] gave me a lot of batting tips. He said, ‘Bindaas khelne ka. Ball ko dekhna, but pehle bowler ko, uske action ko, uske hand aur finger movement ko. And be confident. Apne aap ko hamesha back karna’.”

“[Play fearlessly. Focus on the ball, but first observe the bowler-watch their action, their hand, and finger movements. And be confident. Always back yourself],” the Gujarat cricketer recalled.

“I always recall his words whenever I go to the middle. We both bat with the same approach, and it doesn’t matter who the bowler is,” he added.

All hope is not lost for Urvil, who can still be signed by an IPL franchise for the 2025 season as an injury-replacement.

Gujarat wicketkeeper-batter Urvil Patel slammed the fastest T20 century by an Indian during his team’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Tripura on Wednesday, reaching the three-figure mark in just 28 balls. This comes exactly a year after he smashed the second-fastest hundred by an Indian in List-A cricket. The 26-year-old Urvil bettered Rishabh Pant’s record for the fastest T20 hundred by an Indian. The India wicket-keeper had blazed away to a 32-ball century against Himachal Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2018.

Urvil’s ton is the second-fastest in T20 cricket, only behind Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan, whose hundred against Cyprus came in 27 balls.

Opening the innings, Urvil struck seven fours and 12 sixes on his way to an unbeaten 113 off a mere 35 balls, as Gujarat completed a chase of 156 in 10.2 overs.

Earlier in the week, Urvil had gone unsold in the Indian Premier League player auction.

Exactly on this day last year, after being released by Gujarat Titans, Urvil scored an unbeaten 41-ball 100 for Gujarat in their Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Arunachal Pradesh in Chandigarh.

Urvil’s century was the second-fastest by an Indian batter in List A cricket.