France's Gustav McKeon becomes youngest male batter to score T20I ton

Gustav McKeon broke the record for the youngest male batter to score a century in T20I cricket on Monday, July 25. The Frenchman achieved the feat during the third T20 World Cup 2024 Europe Sub-Regional Qualifier tournament in Finland.

At 18 years and 280 days, McKeon is now the youngest men's player to score a T20I hundred. He smashed 109 off just 61 balls against Switzerland in Vantaa. The youngster’s blazing knock featured five fours and nine sixes.

With his quickfire hundred, McKeon broke the record for previously held by Afghanistan's Hazratullah Zazai. The hard-hitting batter clobbered an unbeaten 162 off 62 balls against Ireland in 2019. Zazai was 20 years and 337 days old when he played the swashbuckling innings.

Before his record-breaking hundred, McKeon had clubbed 76 off 54 balls against the Czech Republic. In fact, he is the leading run-getter in the tournament with 185 runs at a strike rate of 161 and an average of 92.50.

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Despite McKeon's superb century, France ended up on the losing side in a nail-biting thriller. Chasing 158, Switzerland captain and opener Faheem Nazir got his team off to a great start, smashing 67 off 46 balls. Ali Nayyer then scored a spectacular 48* off 16 balls, with the help of three fours and four sixes, to stun France. In an ironic twist, it was McKeon who bowled the last over and conceded 16 runs.

Following the result, France and Switzerland now have two points in Group 2. Norway are leading the group with two wins in as many games. Czech Republic and Estonia are still searching for their first points.

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In Group 1, Austria and Guernsey have both won two out of two, while Luxembourg have lost both their matches. Bulgaria and Slovenia have played one game each, failing to register any points.