Aggressive batting has become the norm in modern cricket, with high-scoring encounters now a regular feature across formats. Players such as Abhishek Sharma , Ishan Kishan , Travis Head , and the latest entrant to the list, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi , have grabbed headlines for taking the attack to bowlers from the very first ball.
Sooryavanshi, who is just 15 years old and has already made his international debut, shot to fame after smashing a century off just 35 balls for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025.
As Sooryavanshi continues his rapid rise, it is worth noting that this brand of aggressive batting is far from a new phenomenon. In fact, legendary Australian batter Sir Donald Bradman still sits atop the list when it comes to extraordinary scoring feats.
The story dates back to November 2, 1931, when Bradman was playing a domestic match for Blackheath against Lithgow. While he finished the innings with a staggering 256 runs, the biggest highlight was the speed at which he reached his century, achieving the milestone in just three overs.
During that era, an over consisted of eight deliveries instead of the current six. As a result, Bradman brought up his hundred in just 22 balls. He smashed 33 runs in the first over, followed by 40 in the second and 27 in the third. His remarkable innings featured 14 sixes and 29 fours.
Years later, Bradman was asked about that unforgettable knock and what was going through his mind while playing one of the most astonishing innings of his career.
“It’s important, I think, to emphasise that the thing was not planned. It happened purely by accident and everyone was surprised at the outcome, no one more than I. Wendell Bill became one of my staunchest friends, and in later years he said he got more notoriety out of the two singles he scored in those three overs than anything else he ever did in his life,” Bradman had said, as quoted by Sportskeeda.