Mumbai teenager Ayush Mhatre scripted history on Friday by becoming the youngest player to score a century in all three formats; first-class, list A, and t20. At 18 years and 135 days, Mhatre surpassed the previous record held by Rohit Sharma, who achieved the feat at 19 years and 339 days.
Mhatre’s unbeaten 110 off 53 balls, laced with eight fours and eight sixes, guided Mumbai to a seven-wicket victory over Vidarbha in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, chasing down a target of 193 with 13 balls to spare.
After surviving early scares, including a dropped catch on 66, he unleashed carnage on the Vidarbha bowlers, particularly targeting the long-on boundary. He took veteran pacer Umesh Yadav to the cleaners, scoring 43 runs off just 16 balls against him.
While senior pros like Ajinkya Rahane fell early and Suryakumar Yadav played a supporting role with 35, Mhatre anchored the chase, ensuring Mumbai reached the target comfortably. Shivam Dube provided the finishing touches with a blistering 19-ball 39.
Earlier in the day, Mhatre was named captain of the India Under-19 squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in Dubai, adding to a memorable 24 hours. His meteoric rise has drawn comparisons to Prithvi Shaw.
Mhatre’s journey from Virar to the maidans of Mumbai mirrors Shaw’s, and his retention by Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL auction underscores his growing stature in Indian cricket.
The match also saw Vidarbha post a challenging 192, thanks to a rapid 115-run opening stand between Atharva Taide and Aman Mokhade. However, their innings faltered against Mumbai’s spinners and seamers in the death overs.
In other Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy action, Prithvi Shaw shone on his captaincy debut for Maharashtra with a 36-ball 66, while Haryana edged Punjab in a thrilling Super Over finish. Sanju Samson’s Kerala, however, suffered a setback, losing to Railways by 32 runs.
Mhatre’s record-breaking feat adds to his burgeoning reputation as one of India’s most promising young talents. Having already made headlines with a Ranji Trophy century at 17 and a List A world record ton earlier this year, the youngster continues to tick off milestones. With the U-19 World Cup on the horizon, all eyes will be on the Mumbai batter as he prepares to lead the national junior side.