Gujarat captain Urvil Patel scored a blistering unbeaten 119 off just 31 balls to help power his side to an eight-wicket victory over Services in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 at the Gymkhana Ground on Wednesday. Patel’s knock included 12 fours and 10 sixes, with a strike rate of 321.62. They were chasing a target of 183 runs and completed the chase in just 12.3 overs.
“This was all about staying aggressive and backing my game,” Urvil said after the match. “The team backed me fully, and it’s always special to lead from the front.”
Third-Fastest T20 Century by an Indian Batter
Urvil’s 31-ball century now ranks as the third-fastest T20 hundred by an Indian batter. Previously, he had recorded the fastest T20 century by an Indian with a 28-ball hundred against Tripura during the Gujarat vs Indore game in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Indian opener Abhishek sits second on the list, having scored a 28-ball ton during the Punjab vs Meghalaya match in Rajkot 2024.
Who is Urvil Patel?
Urvil Patel, who represented the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during the IPL 2025 season, was retained by the franchise ahead of the mini auction. He was drafted in as a replacement for Vansh Bedi, who was ruled out due to injury.
In IPL 2025, Urvil played three matches, scoring 68 runs at a strike rate of 212.50, despite one innings ending in a two-ball duck.
Interestingly, Urvil had gone unsold in the 2025 IPL mega auction, despite topping the sixes chart in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 with 29 sixes in six innings and holding the record for the joint second-fastest T20 century (28 balls).
Urvil Patel’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 Heroics
Urvil had an outstanding 2024-25 SMAT season, scoring 315 runs in six innings at an average of 78.75 and a strike rate close to 229.92. His 28-ball century against Tripura in November 2024 made him the joint-second-fastest batter in T20 cricket to reach 100 runs.
Which IPL Teams Has Urvil Patel Played?
Urvil had previously been part of the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 but made his IPL debut for CSK two years later. He was signed for Rs 30 lakh as a like-for-like replacement after Vansh Bedi’s injury. He was also invited for trials by CSK, along with Mhatre, after the team’s regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out due to injury.
(With inputs from ANI)
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
