Sri Lanka all-rounder Dasun Shanaka produced a remarkable display of power-hitting on Thursday, breaking the record for the fastest century in Caribbean Premier League history.
Representing St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Shanaka reached his hundred from just 39 balls against St Lucia Kings in a league-stage match at Basseterre. He finished unbeaten on 121 from 43 deliveries, striking eight fours and 12 sixes in an innings that transformed the match in the space of a few overs.
The century surpassed the previous CPL record, jointly held by Andre Russell and Tim Seifert. Both had previously reached three figures in 40 balls. Shanaka needed just one fewer delivery to claim the outright record.
His innings was built around a combination of patience early on and extraordinary aggression once he settled at the crease. Rather than attacking every delivery from the outset, Shanaka said afterwards that he initially wanted to assess the quality of the bowling, the field placements and the conditions. Once he became convinced that the pitch was offering good batting conditions, he began taking greater risks when deliveries entered his preferred areas.
Shanaka was promoted to No. 3 for the match, a significant change from his position in the previous game against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons. In that fixture, he had batted at No. 7 and made an unbeaten 49.
According to Shanaka, the decision to move him up the order was taken jointly by head coach Malonan Rangarajan and captain Jason Holder. The promotion gave him substantially more time at the crease, allowing him to play a much larger role in the Patriots’ innings.
The opportunity was quickly justified.
Alongside Shanaka’s unbeaten 121, Andre Fletcher contributed 64 from 38 deliveries as St Kitts and Nevis Patriots posted a formidable 235 for four after batting first. The total gave them a commanding platform and left St Lucia Kings with a demanding chase.
The response from St Lucia Kings was brief and disappointing. They were bowled out for only 98 in 13.5 overs, falling well short of the Patriots’ total.
For Shanaka, the innings represented the perfect reward for his decision to begin cautiously before unleashing his attacking game. His 12 sixes were particularly significant in the context of the final total, with his boundary-hitting providing the momentum that turned a competitive innings into a dominant one.
Jason Holder, the Patriots captain and a former West Indies all-rounder, praised Shanaka’s recent form and said the team wanted to make better use of his ability. Holder pointed to the way Shanaka paced his innings, taking time at the beginning before switching into an aggressive mode towards the end.
The captain also highlighted the value of giving Shanaka additional deliveries by promoting him up the batting order. Once the Sri Lankan found his rhythm, he made almost every opportunity count.
At 34, Shanaka remains an experienced presence in franchise cricket, and his performance against St Lucia Kings underlined the value of that experience. The innings was not simply an exhibition of power; it was also an example of how a batter can build a devastating T20 innings by reading the conditions first and choosing the right moment to attack.
With a 39-ball century and an unbeaten 121, Shanaka now holds a place in the CPL record books. More importantly for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, his extraordinary contribution helped turn the match into a one-sided contest and demonstrated why the decision to promote him in the batting order proved so effective.