Shahid Afridi’s 37-Ball Century: How Sachin Tendulkar’s Influence Shaped the Knock

"The bat I used to play my first inning is safely with me. History was made by the bat. It was Sachin's bat, and I set a world record with it. says Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi, the former all-rounder for Pakistan, was nicknamed “Boom-Boom” for a reason. For a considerable amount of time, Afridi, one of the best offensive batsmen Pakistan has ever produced, held the record for the fastest century in ODI cricket after hitting a 37-ball century in Nairobi against Sri Lanka. Corey Anderson, an all-rounder from New Zealand, beat Afridi’s record in just 36 balls in 2014. Then, in 2015, former South Africa captain AB de Villiers broke Anderson’s record when he hit a century off 31 balls against the West Indies.

Even if there have been other faster tons than Afridi’s, Indians love the unique tale that goes with the retiring Pakistani player’s century. Afridi himself admitted that he scored his 37-ball century with the bat of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

“The bat I used to play my first inning is safely with me. History was made by the bat. It was Sachin’s bat, and I set a world record with it. Sachin is one of my favorite players. And since Waqar Younis handed me the bat when I was training before the game, I am grateful to him for it. He requested that I use the bat to play the game,” he had stated in a 2021 YouTube video, according to TNN.

“Shahid Afridi was greatly influenced by the bat. I find it to be really special. I attempted to toy with it in the interim but ultimately chose to preserve it,” he continued.

Retired all-rounder Afridi’s teammate Azhar Mahmood from Pakistan also shared an interesting story about the Sachin Tendulkar bat that the player used.

“The two Sri Lankan openers back then, Jayasuriya and wicketkeeper Kaluwitharana, liked to go straight after the target. So, we reasoned that we needed a batsman to bat at number three. Me and Afridi? You guys go try to slug (in the nets), Wasim remarked. Mahmood recalls, “I was plodding along sensibly, and Afridi went against the spinners, murdering everyone in the nets.”

“They told that Afridi is batting at number three when we play Sri Lanka the next day. I believe that Sachin Tendulkar gave Waqar (Younis) a bat. Using the legendary Sachin’s bat, Waqar scored a hundred runs and turned into a batsman. He was primarily a ball-hitting bowler, but he ultimately had a fantastic career,” he continued.

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