Muhammad Shazad has broken the record for the fastest first-class century by a Pakistani batter, reaching the mark in just 49 balls.

The right-hander smashed eight sixes and 12 fours in his innings of 114 off 62 balls for Pakistan Television  against Kingsmen Academy at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad on the opening day of the third round of the President’s Trophy.

This is Shahzad’s sixth first-class century in 21 matches. Batting at No. 5, he walked out when PTV were struggling at 34 for 3 and struck a 143-run stand with Mohammad Taha, who made 43. Shahzad has also played 22 List A matches and 26 T20s. He made his PSL debut for Islamabad United in the 2025 season, playing six matches.

Misbah-ul-Haq previously held the record for the fastest first-class century by a Pakistan batter for his 56 ball effort  against Australia in the second Test at Abu Dhabi in 2014. Misbah, at the time, levelled Viv Richards’ record for the fastest Test century. But that record was broken two years later by Brendon McCullum, when he made a 54-ball century against Australia in Christchurch in the second Test of the series.

Shahzad has come through the PCB’s age-group programme, playing for Pakistan’s Under-16 and Under-19 sides. He played in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa.

(Cricinfo)

Right-arm wristspinner Arab Gul,  took 4 for 8 on T20I debut and left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote  picked up 3 for 19 as Afghanistan successfully defended a modest 129  against Japan   to open their Asian Games men’s competition  campaign with two points in Group A.

Two days after nearly beating India  in a rain-shortened game in Sano, hosts Japan made a steady start to the chase and reached 53 for 2 in the eighth over before losing their way.

North Korean weightlifter Ri Song Gum has broken three world records en route to winning gold in the women’s 49kg (108lbs) competition, which saw India’s Mirabai Chanu win an elusive Asian Games medal by finishing second.

Ri gave North Korea its first gold of the games in Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday, joining an elite club of four weightlifters who have won three Asian Games gold medals.

The 28-year-old hauled 94kg above her head in the opening snatch discipline – the first official segment of the competition where athletes lift a barbell from the floor to an overhead position in a single motion. The lift was 1kg heavier than the previous world record of 93kg.

Ri followed it up by breaking the world record twice in the 115kg clean and jerk – a two-part movement where a barbell is lifted from the floor to the shoulders and then pushed overhead. The 4ft-7in (139.7cm) weightlifter hoisted 116kg and 121kg above her head.

Ri’s total lift of 215kg obliterated the old world record total by 7kg.

She is the fourth lifter, and first woman, to win three Asian Games weightlifting golds and joined Iran’s Mohammad Nassiri (1966-74), South Korea’s Kim Tae-hyun (1990-98) and Iran’s Behdad Salimi (2010-18), who all won three gold medals. No athlete has won four weightlifting gold medals.

In the same category, India’s Chanu finally won an Asian Games medal at the third time of asking. She won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The 32-year-old is India’s most decorated weightlifter, with three Commonwealth gold medals and a silver to her name, along with multiple global titles.

She lifted a total of 198kg after a snatch of 87kg and a clean and jerk of 111kg, while Indonesia’s Diana Tri Wijayana took bronze with a total of 191kg, comprising 88kg and 103kg.

Chanu’s silver also ended India’s 28-year wait for a weightlifting medal at the games since Karnam Malleswari won silver in 1998.