Part of CSK Squad 2026, Urvil Patel Dazzles With 31-Ball Century in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Urvil Patel, part of the CSK squad 2026, has made a fabulous start to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy while playing for Gujarat. The batter scored a 31-ball century, showing his ultra-aggressive approach, which made him famous and earned him an IPL deal.

Opening the innings, Urvil first completed his fifty in just 14 balls before reaching his century in the next 17 balls. Eventually, he finished with an unbeaten 119 in just 37 balls, including 12 boundaries and 10 maximums, at a strike rate of 321.62.

90.75% of his runs came via fours and sixes, and he scored 65.02% of the team’s runs alone in this innings. His knock helped Gujarat chase down the total inside 12.3 overs and register a comfortable win.

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This was the third-quickest century in the tournament’s history, and Urvil also holds the record for the fastest century in the competition, in just 28 balls. Urvil has made a habit of producing quickfire knocks, and the key is that he continues to score big while maintaining the same tempo throughout.

Should CSK start with Urvil Patel in the playing XI in IPL 2026?

Before the Sanju Samson trade, Urvil Patel was seen as a potential wicketkeeper-batter for CSK after MS Dhoni’s retirement, given he showed exceptional skills in limited chances in IPL 2025. However, Samson’s inclusion has surely made his way arduous, as he is also a top-order batter who can keep.

For Urvil, the only route is to prove himself good enough to play as a specialist batter, which he has been doing time and again. His overall T20 record is magnificent: 1349 runs at an average of 28.70 and a strike rate of 179.62 in 51 innings, including four fifties and three centuries.

CSK have a settled batting unit, with no place for Urvil in the top or middle order at the moment. So, they might not need him straight away, but he is still a top talent to have.

Urvil Patel will be a long-term investment for the franchise, a kind of player that fits in the new approach: attacking and high boundary%. Maybe he might not be a first-choice player, especially with Samson and Dhoni around, but his talent is good enough to work on his game and develop him for the future.

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