Gustav Mckeon becomes the youngest player to score a T20I century - know the other record holders

At 18 years and 280 days, France’s Gustav Mckeon became the youngest player to score a T20I century. The opening batter scored 109 runs off just 61 balls against Switzerland in the T20 World Cup 2024 Europe Sub-Regional Qualifiers in July 2022.

Interestingly enough, Mckeon is the first and only youngster to score a century in a Twenty20 International. During his record-breaking innings, Mckeon hit five fours and nine sixes as France posted 157 runs on the board.

His brilliant effort, however, went in vain as France failed to defend their total, with Switzerland chasing the target in the final ball of the match.

Mckeon’s record of being the youngest centurion in T20 Internationals was previously held by Afghanistan’s Hazratullah Zazai. During Afghanistan’s 2nd T20I against Ireland at Dehradun in 2019, the Afghan opener scored 162 runs off just 62 to become the youngest player at the time - 20 years 337 days - to score a T20I century.

During his knock, Zazai hit a whopping 11 fours and 16 sixes, meaning that 140 of his 162 runs came from boundaries alone.

Riding on his century and Usman Ghani’s 48-ball 73, Afghanistan managed to score 278/3 in 20 overs which, to date, is the highest team total in T20 cricket.

In the same year when Zazai became the youngest T20I centurion, Sivakumar Periyalwar of Romania played a blistering knock of 105 runs off 40 balls against Turkey in the 2019 Continental Cup. He did so at 21 years and 161 days, which puts him third on the list of youngest players to score a T20I century.

The top five list of youngest players to score a T20I century is completed by the likes Orchide Tuyisenge of Rwanda and Dipendra Singh Airee of Nepal. The former scored his century at 21 years, 190 days against Seychelles while the latter did so at 22 years, 68 days against Malaysia.

Meanwhile, taking only top-ranked T20I teams into consideration, Pakistan’s Ahmed Shehzad comes out on top. Against Bangladesh in the 2014 T20 World Cup, the opener scored 111 runs off 62 deliveries at 22 years and 127 days.

As far as India are concerned, Suresh Raina still remains their youngest centurion in the shortest format. The former middle-order batter did so at 23 years and 156 days against South Africa in the 2010 T20 World Cup when he scored 101 runs in 60 balls.

Youngest player to score T20I century

Featured photo: STR / AFP