Top 4 records in cricket that may never be broken in our lifetime

The legendary Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar was once famously quoted as saying the following: “Records are meant to be broken.” While he may not be entirely wrong in saying that, some records are meant to be untouched throughout the entirety of the game. Some of these records have been set by the Caribbean stalwarts during their golden years. Even our very own Little Master also finds a place in this esteemed list.

So without further ado, it’s time to reflect on the top 4 world records in cricket that will most likely never be broken in our lifetime.

Sunil Narine’s maiden-over magic in a T20 super over

How outrageous does it sound? Has that thought ever crossed your mind? Even in your wildest dreams?  This unthinkable feat was achieved by the Trinidad-born Sunil Narine. During the 2014 CPL edition, Narine stunned the cricketing universe by bowling six consecutive dot balls on the bounce. 

The guilty party who was up against Narine was none other than Nicholas Pooran. The poor fellow threw his bat at every delivery, only to get beaten all ends up. Narine mixed his variations wisely and was also able to extract decent purchase off the surface, which infuriatingly added to Pooran’s troubles. 

Moreover, fans from both sides were left dumbfounded as Trinidad Red Steel failed to register even a single run on the board. As a result, the Guyana Warriors were able to successfully defend 12 off the super over, on the back of some courageous bowling from Narine. 

However, in the contemporary era, where the batters are destined to explode right from the onset, pulling off such a feat, even by the world’s most economical bowler, could seem like a far-fetched theory on paper.

Brian Lara’s masterclass innings of 400* in Tests

The West Indian batting maestro Brian Lara proudly holds the record for smashing the highest individual score of 400* in Test cricket. Lara unlocked this historic milestone during the England Test series at home in early 2004. His previous best of 375 was broken by Australia’s Matthew Hayden. But shortly after, Lara managed to produce a once-in-a-lifetime innings to surpass Hayden’s career-best 380.

Given the way modern-day test cricket is played, achieving such a feat is slowly becoming a distant memory. These days, test cricket often lasts for a good 3-4 days, where even teams collectively struggle to score 400. As of today, the game has seen only 29 triple centurions. South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder (367*) became the only batter to get dangerously close to breaking Lara’s 400 during a test match against Zimbabwe this year. Lara’s record is more than two decades old and will likely remain unharmed for generations to come.

Sachin Tendulkar’s astonishing tally of 100 international centuries 

When it comes to batting prowess, Sachin Tendulkar is arguably the greatest all-time cricketer to have ever played the game. His batting legacy echoes throughout the cricketing universe. During his peak years, Tendulkar went past numerous batting milestones that only a select few can even dare to dream of. 

One such record is his tally of 100 international hundreds. The little master stumbled upon this magical milestone in the 2012 Asia Cup game against Bangladesh, albeit in a losing cause. Tendulkar signed off his career with 51 test and 49 ODI centuries. 13 years on, the record lives. 

Only India’s Virat Kohli could come mighty close to challenging his record. At the moment, he is only second to Tendulkar with 71 international centuries to his name. But after stepping away from test cricket and with not a lot of cricket left in him, Tendulkar’s exemplary record of 100 international centuries will continue to remain unmatched.

Shoaib Akhter clocking 161.3 km/hr in an international game

Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhter, a.k.a Rawalpindi Express, will go down as one of the fastest bowlers to have ever played the game. Batters of his era were often terrorized by his rapid thunderbolts. But in the 2003 ODI World Cup match against England, Akhter shattered the speed barrier by going past the 100 mph mark (160 km/hr). 

While in the process of bettering his previous best record of 161 km/hr, Akhter achieved the rare feat of bowling the fastest delivery in world cricket. Although his fiery delivery did very little to rattle Marcus Trescothick’s composure, Akhter clocked an unbelievable 161.3 km/hr, a feat that has remained intact for more than two decades. To this day, only two Australian pacers, featuring the likes of Brett Lee and Mitchell Starc, have managed to surpass the 160 km/hr barrier.