Viv Richards went close twice, Saeed Anwar and Gary Kirsten almost got it, but only one man achieved it, Virender Sehwag. No, my stats are not wrong, but Viru really is the first man to achieve this mean feat. How? Well, Sachin Tendulkar is a God. It was God who showed the way. His protégé took the cue and kicked his way right in with his astonishing display of batting brutality.
This elusive achievement of Viru once again gives rise to the same question, Can anyone else repeat it? I say yes, if Sachin and Sehwag can then someone else will, for sure. Records are meant to be broken. Sehwag and Sachin have proved that time and time again. Personally I don’t believe in any speculations however, there are certain batsmen I believe that can reach the milestone achieved by Sehwag and Sachin, if not better it.
Shane Watson
Don’t be fooled by his good looks and disarming smile. This Australian poster boy is a maniac with his bat. He almost got a double century this year within 35 overs. Hope everyone remembers his unbeaten 185 runs against the Bangladesh Cricket Team. The knock came with a world record of 15 sixes. Bangladesh bowlers were utterly clueless about where to bowl to him. He has the required energy and penchant for playing those long innings. He also has fair amount of experience now. I would not be surprised if he scores a double century in coming years.
Chris Gayle
If you look at the man for the first time you’ll never know he is a cricketer. Looks more like a pro wrestler. Touted as the successor to the legendary Viv Richards, he surely is the man to watch out for. Assuming that he plays for the depleted West Indian side again, he has the required arsenal to take over any bowling attack and reduce them to tatters. A power very few batsmen can match. No bowler worth his salt likes to get caught in the ‘Gayle Winds’ when they start blowing.
Tillakaratne Dilshan
With his natural timing and wily wristwork Dilashan is the man to wary of. There are, in fact, are a lot of similarities between Viru and DIlshan. Both started off as lower order batsmen who bowled useful offspin and both have really come in to their own since being promoted to the top of the order. Even he resorts to a defensive game only after all the attacking alternatives have been explored. 2009 was a remarkable youngster for the Lankan. Scoring 11 centuries in a calendar year and winning the T20 player of the series award are not small achievements. This Sri-Lankan dynamite may erupt any moment, given a chance.
Last but not the least. Looking at the way things are moving, Sehwag himself will be the biggest threat to his own record. His batting technique is getting better and the temperament that he has shown by playing the inning has just been phenomenal. I would not be surprised if he does it again.
Like I said “Records are meant to be broken” though, who’ll be next, still needs to be seen. One thing is for sure, whoever reaches the elusive landmark will surely be remembered for centuries to come.