Kane Williamson beats Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and more with record breaking hundred ahead of Champions Trophy 2025

Kane Williamson scored his 47th international century during an ODI against South Africa. (AFP Image)

Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson continued his impressive run with a century against South Africa on Monday (February 10) in the second match of the tri-series in Pakistan. The right-handed batter reached the three-figure mark in just 72 deliveries, which is the second fastest ton of his ODI career. His knock during the chase of 305 comes as a warning note for teams competing in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.

New Zealand are placed in Group A of the Champions Trophy with hosts Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. They begin their campaign with a clash against Pakistan on February 19.

With the ton, Williamson equaled AB de Villiers in the list of batter with most international tons. He scored his 47th hundred in his 365th international game. De Villiers finished his career with 47 hundreds in 420 matches for South Africa. The list headed by the one and only Sachin Tendulkar with 100 centuries.

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Enroute the chase of 305, the 34-year-old looked in complete as he joined Devon Conway after the dismissal of Will Young for 19. Conway and Williamson added 187 runs for the second wicket before the latter was dismissed for 97, missing on a well-deserved century.

Kane Williamson has also become the second-fastest batter to reach 7,000 runs in ODIs, surpassing players like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Sourav Ganguly, Rohit Sharma, and Brian Lara. He reached the milestone in just 159 innings, edging past Kohli, who took 161 innings to achieve the feat.

Hashim Amla remains the fastest to the mark, having accomplished it in just 150 innings. Before Williamson, Martin Guptill held the record as New Zealand’s quickest batter to 7,000 ODI runs, reaching the milestone in 186 innings.

Fastest Batters To 7,000 ODI Runs (By Innings)

1. Hashim Amla – 150 innings

2. Kane Williamson – 159 innings

3. Virat Kohli – 161 innings

4. AB de Villiers – 166 innings

5. Sourav Ganguly – 174 innings

6. Rohit Sharma – 181 innings

7. Brian Lara – 183 innings

8. Martin Guptill – 186 innings

9. Desmond Haynes – 187 innings

10. Jacques Kallis – 188 innings

South Africa batter Breetzke breaks 47-year ODI record

Earlier in the match, South Africa opening batter Matthew Breetzke broke a 47-year-old record when he made the highest score on one-day international debut with 150 in a losing effort against New Zealand in a Tri-Nations fixture at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday.

Breetzke, 26, struck 11 fours and five sixes in his 148-ball innings as South Africa, batting first, amassed 304 for six in their 50 overs.

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New Zealand chased their target down with eight balls to spare thanks to an unbeaten 133 from Kane Williamson to win by six wickets.

Breetzke's score beat the previous best mark of West Indian Desmond Haynes who made 148 on debut against Australia in Antigua in 1978. The South African record had been 124 by Colin Ingram against Zimbabwe in 2010.

"It hasn't sunk in yet and I'm a bit tired," Breetzke said. "The pitch was tacky and (New Zealand seamer Will) O'Rourke was really tough to face.

"My mindset was to bat as long as possible and give myself a chance at the end."

Breetzke, who is not part of South Africa’s Champions Trophy squad, batted until the 46th over.

He has played 10 Twenty20 internationals and a single test, making his ODI debut in a weakened line-up missing several leading batters who are not available for the series. (With Reuters Input)