Amazing Cricket Facts That'll Blow Your Mind

01 .Shahid Afridi used Sachin Tendulkar's bat to hit the fastest ever ODI century

Shahid Afridi was flown in to play for the Pakistan team from West Indies to Nairobi in 1996 and didn't have a proper bat. That's when Waqar Younis gave 'Young Afridi' Sachin Tendulkar’s bat. Afridi hit 11 sixes and six boundaries with the bat and scored a 37-ball century against Sri Lanka which was the then fastest ODI century. The record, broken later by Corey Anderson (36 balls), now belongs to South Africa's AB de Villiers (31 balls)

2. Chris Gayle is the only batsman to hit a six off the first ball of a Test match

In the 137 years of Test cricket no cricketer has ever hit a six off the first ball of a Test match. Audacious Chris Gayle achieved this feat against Bangladesh in 2012 off debutant Sohag Gazi.

3. India is the only country to win the 60-Over, 50-Over and 20-Over World Cup

India is the only country to have won the 60, 50 and the 20-over Cricket World Cups. After winning the last 60-over World Cup under Kapil Dev's leadership in 1983, India won the 20-over and 50-over World Cups under MS Dhoni's captaincy in 2007 and 2011 respectively.

4. There's only one person who witnessed Jim Laker and Anil Kumble taking 10 wickets in an innings

As a 10-year-old Richard Stokes witnessed Jim Laker taking all 10 wickets in the 1956 Old Trafford Test against Australia. Forty-three years later he was in India watching the India vs Pakistan Test and saw Anil Kumble taking all the 10 wickets in an innings. These were the only two Tests Stokes has watched in his life.

5. On the morning of 11/11/11 South Africa needed 111 runs to win at 11:11

This coincidence occurred during the first Test between South Africa and Australia at Cape Town. At 11:11, on 11/11/11, South Africa were 125 for 1 needing a further 111 runs for a win.

6. Sachin Tendulkar played for Pakistan before India

Can you imagine Sachin Tendulkar playing for Pakistan before India? This happened during a practice match between India and Pakistan at the Brabourne Stadium in 1987 where Tendulkar came on the field as a substitute fielder for Pakistan.two years before his international debut.

7. Abbas Ali Baig was the first Indian cricketer to be kissed during a Test match.

When Abbas Ali Baig reached a half-century in the third Test match against Australia at the Brabourne Stadium in 1960, a pretty young girl ran all the way from the North Stand to greet the batsman. She kissed Baig on his cheek.

8. Vinod Kambli's Test match average is better than his childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar.

Vinod Kambli played only 17 Test matches which included two back to back double tons. Kambli’s Test average is 54.20 while his childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar averages 53.78 after 200 Tests.

9. The only Indian Test cricketer to be knighted is Maharaja of Vizianagaram.

Vijay Ananda Gajapathi Raju Was The only Indian Test cricketer to be knighted is Maharaja of Vizianagaram and he is also the second Indian cricketer to be awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1958.

10. All four innings of a test on the same day.

The 2000 Lord's Test between England and West Indies saw all the four innings being played on the same day. This feat was repeated 11 years later in the famous Cape Town Test where South Africa bowled out Australia for 47.