In only his debut match at the Indian Premier League (IPL), Australian youngster Jake Fraser-McGurk set the stage ablaze as he scored a 35-ball 55 in Delhi Capitals’ match against the Lucknow Super Giants, on what was a rather tricky surface at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Chasing a target of 168 runs, Delhi had lost their most experienced, and also the most reliable batter, David Warner, in only the fourth over. However, facing just his second delivery, Fraser-McGurk announced in arrival in splendid fashion as he struck a six over deep mid-wicket.
In the next over, off Arshad Khan’s bowling, Fraser-McGurk struck a four and a six. The highlight of his knock, however, was the 13th over of the match, where he struck three consecutive sixes off an unfortunate Krunal Pandya, who barely had any response to the onslaught.
Fastest Fifties on Maiden IPL Innings:
James Hopes – 24 deliveries (2008)
Angkrish Raghuvanshi – 25 deliveries (2024)
Kyle Mayers – 28 deliveries (2023)
Swapnil Asnodkar – 29 deliveries (2008)
Michael Hussey – 31 deliveries (2008)
Jake Fraser-McGurk – 31 deliveries (2024)
Who Is Jake Fraser-McGurk?
A 22-year-old cricketer who already has made waves, not ripples, Jake Fraser-McGurk hails from Melbourne and started playing cricket at the age of nine. He was a part of Australia’s 2020 ICC U19 World Cup squad, where Bangladesh had emerged victorious. The industrious batter played four matches where he scored 118 runs at an average of 39.33 and a strike rate of 96.72, albeit his involvement in the competition came to a conclusion for a bizarre reason – he was scratched by a monkey.
Fraser-McGurk made his first-class debut for Victoria in a Sheffield Shield match against Queensland in November 2019, where he scored a half-century in his debut innings.
Only a few days later at his List A debut, during a Marsh Cup match against New South Wales, Fraser-McGurk struck a half-century yet again, this time against a formidable bowling unit which featured the likes of Moises Henriques and Daniel Sams.
His T20 debut came in December 2020, where he represented Melbourne Renegades in a Big Bash League match against Perth Scorchers. On this occasion, Fraser-McGurk could not score a half-century, as he had only faced a delivery when his team secured victory.
Prior to joining Delhi Capitals, Fraser-McGurk was a part of the Dubai Capitals team at the International League T20, in the United Arab Emirates. There, he scored 109 runs in three matches, at a staggering strike rate of 213.72.
Breaking AB de Villiers’ Record
Among the more notable achievements of Fraser-McGurk’s career so far is breaking AB de Villiers’ record of the fastest-ever List A century. The Australian prodigy scored a 29-ball century against Tasmania in October 2023, surpassing the South African legend, who had struck a 31-ball List A hundred in January 2015.
International Experience
Fraser-McGurk has already made his debut for Australia, during a home series against West Indies in February this year. On his maiden international experience, he could only score 10 runs in Sydney. However, on his second match in Canberra, he struck an 18-ball 41.
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