Sharjah: Kings XI Punjab batsman Mayank Agarwal smashed a brilliant 45-ball 100, his first and second of the IPL 2020, against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday here at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Earlier, his teammate and KXIP captain KL Rahul hit an unbeaten 132 against Royal Challengers Bangalore on 24 September, which was their second outing in the 13th edition of the IPL.
This is, meanwhile, the second-fastest hundred by an Indian in the IPL. In 2008 IPL, Yusuf Pathan of Rajasthan Royals scored a 37-ball hundred against Mumbai Indians in 2010 at the Brabourne Stadium.
Agarwal hit 9 fours and 7 sixes en route his maiden IPL hundred. The right-hander, opening the batting with Rahul, built a 183-run partnership which is the second-highest opening wicket partnership in the IPL history.
The Indian batsman was finally dismissed by Tom Curran on his personal score of 106 which he scored off just 50 balls. Agarwal laced his knock with 10 fours and seven sixes.
As the partnership was broken, the pair fell short of just three runs from breaking the highest opening wicket stand in IPL history. Captain Rahul's contribution to the partnership was 68 runs.
In 2019 IPL, David Warner and Jonny Bairstow hit 185-run partnership, which was the highest opening wicket stand in the richest T20 league of the world.
Fastest hundreds by Indians in IPL history
37 Yusuf Pathan v MI Mumbai Brabourne Stadium 2010
45 Mayank Agarwal v RR Sharjah 2020*
46 Murali Vijay v RR Chennai 2010
47 Virat Kohli v KXIP Bengaluru 2016
48 Virender Sehwag v Deccan Hyderabad 2011