Phil Salt Matches Babar Azam with Third T20I Century, Leads England to Victory

Phil Salt equaled Babar Azam with his third T20I century, propelling England to an eight-wicket victory over the West Indies. Salt's unbeaten 103 in Barbados was instrumental in helping England successfully chase 183 runs, giving them a 1-0 lead in the series.

In a thrilling display of cricket, England opener Phil Salt has matched Pakistan's Babar Azam by scoring his third century in T20 international cricket. Salt achieved this milestone during the first T20I against the West Indies in Barbados, where England was tasked with chasing a target of 183 runs.

Salt nearly managed the chase single-handedly, scoring an unbeaten 103 off just 54 balls, featuring nine boundaries and six maximums, achieving an impressive strike rate of 190.74. This incredible innings ties him with Babar, known for his T20I prowess, with three centuries in the format. Only India's Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma, along with Australia's Glenn Maxwell, sit above him in the leaderboard with more T20I centuries.

This century not only makes Salt the second player to score three T20 centuries against a single opponent, but it also underscores his significant contribution in T20Is, accumulating 581 runs against the West Indies alone. Salt's consistency is further highlighted by completing 1,000 T20I runs with an average of 38.77, being only the ninth England player to reach this milestone. His latest efforts have put England 1-0 up in the five-match series, with Salt emerging as the 'Player of the Match'.

(With inputs from agencies.)