10 years after last playing for England, Ravi Bopara found his way back in the cricketing mainstream after putting in a world record display for Northamptonshire in their seven-run win against Surrey in the first quarter-final of England’s T20 Blast tournament at the iconic Oval Cricket Ground at the Oval.
Bopora made the third T20 century of his career with a dazzling knock of 103 in just 46 balls. The 40-year-old remained unbeaten on the crease as the visitors posted 154 runs in their allotted 20 overs. His knock came at a strike rate of 228.26 and included 12 boundaries and five sixes.
Ravi Bopara Creates History
With his incredible display in London, Bopara broke Chris Gayle’s record and became the oldest player ever to score a century in a knockout T20 match. Infact, he is the first player around the world to score a century in the shortest format of the game during a knockout match after turning 40.
Oldest Player To Score T20 Century In A Knockout Match
| Player | Age | Runs | Tournament | Stage | Team | Opponent | Year |
| Ravi Bopara | 40 Years,122 Days | 105* | England T20 Blast | QF | Northamptonshire | Surrey | 2025 |
| Chris Gayle | 38 Years, 82 Days | 146* | Bangladesh Premier League | Final | Rangpur Riders | Dynamites | 2017 |
| Chris Gayle | 38 Years, 78 Days | 126* | Bangladesh Premier League | Eliminator | Rangpur Riders | Khulna | 2017 |
| Shahid Afridi | 37 Years, 147 Days | 101 | England T20 Blast | QF | Hampshire | Derbyshire | 2017 |
| Scott Styris | 37 Years, 13 Days | 100* | England T20 Blast | QF | Sussex | Gloucheshtire | 2012 |
Overall, Bopara is the fourth-oldest player to score a T20 century. Faf du Plessis is the only player on the list to score multiple tons in the shortest format after celebrating his 40th birthday. In the T20 blast, Bopara’s ton is the third-oldest by a player behind Paul Collingwood (41 years, 65 days) in 2017 for Durham against Worcestershire and Graham Hick (41 years, 37 days) for Worcestershire against Northants in 2007. Collingwood and Hick are the only players to score a T20 ton anywhere in the world after turning 41.
As far as Bopara is concerned, he has the longest T20 career in history, having featured in the 2003 edition of the tournament, which was the first instance of the format being played anywhere in the world at a professional level.