Close to a decade since his last outing for England, experienced all-rounder Ravi Bopara once again grabbed headlines with a world-record effort in the T20 Blast quarter-final. Playing for Northamptonshire, 40-year-old Bopara turned back the clock with a stunning century against Surrey at the Oval, leading his team to a nail-biting seven-run victory. Bopara blazed his way to 103 off 46 balls, an innings punctuated by 12 fours and five sixes. His unbeaten stay was at a mind-boggling strike rate of 228.26, propelling Northamptonshire to 154 from their 20 overs. Even a late Surrey resurgence could not erase the impact of Bopara's effort, which returned him to the cricketing limelight. Oldest Player to Score a T20 Century in Knockout Cricket Player Age Runs Tournament Stage Team Against Year Ravi Bopara 40 Years, 122 Days 105* England T20 Blast QF Northamptonshire Surrey 2025 Chris Gayle 38 Years, 82 Days 146* Bangladesh Premier League Final Rangpur Riders Dynamites 2017 Chris Gayle 38 Years, 78 Days 126* Bangladesh Premier League Eliminator Rangpur Riders Khulna 2017 Shahid Afridi 37 Years, 147 Days 101 England T20 Blast QF Hampshire Derbyshire 2017 Scott Styris 37 Years, 13 Days 100* England T20 Blast QF Sussex Gloucestershire 2012 Also Read | Watch: Ravi Bopara Smashes Uthappa for 6 Sixes in One Over With this thrilling display, Bopara became the oldest cricketer in history to hit a hundred in a T20 knockout game, beating the great Chris Gayle. He is actually the first player from anywhere in the world to score a T20 century in a knockout game after crossing the 40-year mark. In all, Bopara is now the fourth-oldest T20 century scorer, after Paul Collingwood (41 years, 65 days) and Graham Hick (41 years, 37 days), who both crossed the mark in England's domestic T20 league. Former South African captain Faf du Plessis also finds a place in the list with several centuries past the age of 40. Amazingly, Bopara also shares another record: the longest ongoing T20 career in history. Having made his debut in the format's first edition of Vitality Blast in 2003, he continues to demonstrate his class over two decades on. With this incredible knock, Bopara has reminded everyone in the cricketing fraternity of his longevity, skill, and capacity to perform on the biggest of stages.