India’s Test wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha on Saturday cracked a 20-ball 102 in a club-level match here to underline his fine preparation for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).
Saha’s breathtaking unbeaten knock, studded with four hits to the fence and 14 over it, helped Mohun Bagan outplay Bengal Nagpur Railways Club by 10 wickets in a second round match of the J.C. Mukherjee Trophy T20 tournament at the Kalighat ground.
Chasing 152, Bagan collected 154 for no loss in just seven overs.
Opening the innings with Subhomoy Das (43 not out off 22, 6x4, 2x6), Saha, who was picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad for ₹5 crore, reached his half-century (54), containing four fours and six sixes, in just 12 deliveries. He became more ferocious as he gathered the remaining 48 runs only through sixes. His overall strike rate was an astonishing 510.
“From the first ball I was able to middle the ball. I am not sure whether this is a record, but looking ahead at the IPL I tried to play different shots,” said Saha, who hit six sixes off pacer Aman Prosad in the seventh over that produced 37 runs including a wide.
Chris Gayle’s 30-ball hundred for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors at Bengaluru in the 2013 edition of the IPL stands as the fastest T20 century in a recognised tournament. Gayle had scored a 66-ball unbeaten 175.
