Nepal batsman Rohit Paudel became the youngest male cricketer to score an international 50 on Saturday at the age of 16 years and 146 days, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s previous mark scored in a Test against Pakistan. He also became the youngest man to score an ODI half-century, beating Shahid Afridi, who smashed a 37-ball century in an incredible first innings against Sri Lanka aged 16 and 217 days.
Indian legend Tendulkar scored his maiden Test 50 when 16 years and 213 days old in the Faisalabad Test in 1989. Paudel stroked a 58-ball 55 as Nepal, a cricket minnow, thrashed the United Arab Emirates by 145 runs in the second ODI in Dubai. Fellow teenager, the 18-year-old Sandeep Lamichhane, claimed 4-24 with his leg-spin as Nepal bowled out their hosts for just 97 chasing 243 to win. Paudel, however, was a fair way off the record for all internationals, with South African women’s player Johmari Logtenburg having scored fifties in both Test and ODI cricket as a 14-year-old.
