Hitting five fours and nine sixes to reach 109 runs in 61 balls against Switzerland in Vantaa, a French batter rewrote cricket record books on Tuesday as he became the youngest men’s player to score a T20I hundred.
The record was created during the third T20 World Cup 2024 Europe Sub-Regional Qualifier tournament in Finland.
At 18 years and 280 days, French opening batter Gustav McKeon became the youngest Men’s player to score a T20I hundred, blasting five fours and nine sixes in a 61-ball 109 against Switzerland in Vantaa.
McKeon broke Hazratullah Zazai’s record by more than two years, with the Afghanistan opener’s 162* from 62 balls against Ireland in 2019 scored at 20 years and 337 days.
The French batter’s innings backed up a swashbuckling 76 from 54 balls against the Czech Republic, and the teenager leads the tournament for runs, with his tally of 185 coming at a strike rate of 161, and an average of 92.50.
Despite the century, McKeon’s France couldn’t finish the job, losing a final-ball thriller to their neighbours who chased down a target of 158.
The winner of the third Sub-Regional tournament will join Denmark, Italy, Jersey and Germany in the Europe Qualifier next year, as well as the European sides who fail to secure 2024 qualification through the 2022 tournament: Ireland, the Netherlands and Scotland.
Youngest players to score a T20I century
- Gustav McKeon – 18y 280d, France v Switzerland, Vantaa, 2022
- Hazratullah Zazai – 20y 337d, Afghanistan v Ireland, Dehradun, 2019
- Sivakumar Periyalwar – 21y 161d, Romania v Turkey, Ilfov County, 2019
- Orchide Tuyisenge, 21y 190d, Rwanda v Seychelles, Kigali, 2021
- Dipendra Singh Airee, 22y 68d, Nepal v Malaysia, Kathmandu, 2022
