Beginning with a blaze of cricketing splendor, the 2023 Asia Cup. Iftikhar Ahmed’s lightning-quick century in 67 balls, which is the fourth-fastest in tournament history, was a spectacular start. Hashim Amla and Virat Kohli were left in the dust as Babar Azam’s amazing 150 runs broke records and passed the fastest 19 ODI century. Excitement increased as Babar came within one century of breaking Saeed Anwar’s record. After a rough start, his collaboration with Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed masterminded an incredible comeback, paving the way for an electric Asia Cup matchup.
Iftikhar Ahmed Achieves One of the Fastest Centuries in Asia Cup History
Iftikhar Ahmed beat Nepal in the opening game of the 2023 Asia Cup at Multan, scoring a century in just 67 balls. This was the fourth-fastest ODI hundred in the history of the competition. The top two spots are now held by Sanath Jayasuriya’s 55-ball onslaught in 2008 and Shahid Afridi’s 53-ball knock against Bangladesh in 2010. The list also contains Iftikhar Ahmed’s most recent accomplishment, Suresh Raina’s 66-ball century against Hong Kong in 2008, and Shahid Afridi’s 68-ball century against Sri Lanka in 2010.
Babar Azam Sets Records With 150 in Opening Match of Asia Cup 2023
Babar Azam’s outstanding batting in the opening game of the 2023 Asia Cup helped to score 150 runs against Nepal, breaking the previous record of the fastest 19 ODI centuries. Legends were surpassed as Azam completed this feat in 102 innings, surpassing both Hashim Amla (104) and Virat Kohli (124). With 31 international hundreds in just 104 games, Babar Azam has caught up to Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, and Inzamam-ul-Haq in the Pakistani context.
Babar Azam Nears Saeed Anwar’s Record with Another Century
In the Asia Cup 2023 match against Nepal, Babar Azam came very close to breaking Saeed Anwar’s ODI century record. He is one century short of Saeed Anwar’s 20 ODI centuries after scoring 151 runs off 131 balls. After losing two early wickets for 52 runs, Babar’s performance, combined with Mohammad Rizwan’s 44 runs off 50 balls and Iftikhar Ahmed’s unbroken 109 runs off 71 balls, helped the Men in Green mount a strong recovery.
