Urvil Patel goes unsold at the IPL, recalls SuryaKumar’s words after smashing the fastest T20 century

Summary: Urvil Patel smashed the fastest T20 century right after he went unsold at the IPL Auction 2025.

Exactly a year after he achieved the quickest one-day hundred in Vijay Hazare, Gujarat's Urvil Patel, who goes unsold for the IPL 2025 Mega Auctions, scored the fastest hundred by an Indian and second overall in all T20s in 28 balls.

Urvil Patel demonstrated that IPL is not the sole metric to gauge cricket potential in India with a spectacular 28-ball century in the present Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Indore, even if he was not sold at the IPL Auction 2025.

He hit an undefeated 41-ball 100-run knock for Gujarat in 2023. It also became the second-fastest ton by an Indian hitter in List A cricket during a Vijay Hazare Trophy match. His SMAT century is now the fastest by an Indian and the second-fastest ton in T20 cricket overall.

He scored 113 runs in 35 balls, completing his century at the 28th ball. He smashed 12 sixes and 7 fours.

After his record-breaking performance, he revealed in an interview, "I did expect a deal, to be very honest. But I am happy that I am playing, performing, and taking my game forward. I was watching the auction, but I simply got up and immediately shifted my focus toward my game after not being picked by any franchise. I am not disappointed. This is something not in my hands."

He also recalled his conversation with Suryakumar Yadav: “I met Surya bhai during the IPL. I went up to him and straight-up told him that I admired him. He was very happy. He put his hand around my shoulder and said, 'Chal, baat karte hain.' [Let's go and talk]. He gave me a lot of batting tips. He said, 'Bindaas khelne ka. Ball ko dekhna, but pehle bowler ko, uske action ko, uske hand aur finger movement ko. And be confident. Apne aap ko hamesha back karna.”

“I always recall his words whenever I go to the middle. We both bat with the same approach, and it doesn't matter who the bowler is.”

He falls behind Sahil Chauhan of Estonia, who holds the record for the quickest T20 ton overall after smashing a ton off 27 balls against Cyprus in 2024.