Harry Brook Makes T20 World Cup History with Record-Breaking Century

Historic Achievement by Harry Brook

In a remarkable performance during the Super Eight match against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup, England's captain Harry Brook etched his name in history by becoming the first skipper to score a century in the tournament's history. After Phil Salt was dismissed on the very first ball by Shaheen Shah Afridi, Brook stepped in at number three and unleashed a fierce assault on the Pakistani bowlers. He scored an impressive 100 runs off just 51 deliveries, hitting 10 fours and four sixes without losing momentum, even as wickets fell around him.

Brook's Record-Breaking Century

Brook's century is now tied for the second-fastest in T20 World Cup history, matching the 50-ball century achieved by West Indies great Chris Gayle against South Africa in the inaugural tournament. The record for the fastest century remains with Gayle, who scored a 47-ball century against England in 2016 at Wankhede Stadium.

With this achievement, Brook joins the ranks of England's elite all-format centurions, alongside renowned players Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan, who have also scored centuries in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.

This victory marks England's fifth consecutive qualification for the T20 World Cup semifinals, having reached the final four in every edition since 2016, including their triumph in the 2022 tournament.

Notable Performances in the Match

Brook's century is the fourth recorded in T20 World Cup chases. The record for the highest score in such chases is held by England's Alex Hales, who scored 116* against Sri Lanka in 2014 while chasing 190 runs. Other notable centuries include Gayle's 100 against England in 2016 and Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka's century against Australia in the current tournament.

Brook is now the third English player to achieve a T20 World Cup century, following Hales and Jos Buttler.

In the match, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first. Sahibzada Farhan contributed significantly with 63 runs off 45 balls, supported by Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman (25 runs off 16 balls), and Shadab Khan (23 runs off 11 balls), leading Pakistan to a total of 164/9. England's bowlers, including Liam Dawson (3/24) and Jofra Archer (2/32), delivered strong performances.

During England's chase, Shaheen Shah Afridi's impressive bowling (4/30) initially put them in a tough spot at 58/4. However, Brook's resilience, along with contributions from Sam Curran (16 runs) and Will Jacks (28 runs), helped England secure victory by two wickets with five balls remaining.