Rwanda batter Fanny Utagushimaninde made history on Friday by becoming the youngest T20I centurion. She achieved the milestone against Ghana in the Nigeria Invitational Women’s T20I Tournament at Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval in Lagos.
At just 15 years and 223 days, Utagushimaninde broke the record previously held by Uganda’s Prosscovia Alako, who scored 116 against Mali in Kigali in 2019 at 16 years and 233 days. She smashed 111 off 65 balls, including 17 fours.
In men’s cricket, the youngest T20I centurion record is held by France’s Gustav McKeon, who scored a century against Switzerland in 2022 at 18 years and 280 days.
Utagushimaninde also became the first player in Women’s T20I history to score a century on debut, surpassing Karen Rolton’s record of 96 not out against England in Taunton in 2005 for the highest score on Women’s T20I debut.
In men’s T20Is, players such as Canada’s Matthews Spoors, Serbia’s Leslie Dunbar, Namibia’s JP Kotze, and Canada’s Ravinderpal Singh have scored centuries on debut, but none were from full-member nations.
Fanny Utagushimaninde help Rwanda thrash Ghana
On the back of Fanny Utagushimaninde’s century, Rwanda Women delivered a commanding performance to defeat Ghana Women by 122 runs.
Batting first, Rwanda posted 210/3 in 20 overs, powered by Utagushimaninde, who blazed her way to 111 off 65 balls at a strike rate of 170.76. Gisele Ishimwe (14) and Clarisse Uwase (15) provided handy contributions, while Merveille Uwase added a quick 32 to bolster the total. Extras, including 25 wides, also helped Rwanda reach a formidable score.
In reply, Ghana struggled to build partnerships, finishing 88/8 in 20 overs. Belise Murekatete starred with the ball, claiming 3/20, while Marie Bimenyimana, Henriette Ishimwe, and Merveille Uwase picked up key wickets. Only Kate Awuah offered resistance with 31 runs from 56 balls.
Utagushimaninde’s record-breaking century earned her the Player of the Match award, while Rwanda’s clinical all-round display underscored their dominance and set a high benchmark for the rest of the tournament.
