Who Is Pakistan's Adam Gilchrist? Karachi Teen Named After Australia Legend Goes Viral After 117-Run Century
A 17-year-old school cricketer from Karachi is named Adam Gilchrist, just like the Australian legend. He scored 117 runs in a school tournament and the internet cannot stop talking about him.
A schoolboy in Karachi is suddenly famous across the cricket world, and it started with his name. The 17-year-old wicketkeeper-batter is called Adam Gilchrist — exactly the same name as the great Australian wicketkeeper who changed cricket forever. Then he went out and played like the name means something, scoring 117 runs in a school tournament match.
His story has gone viral on social media, and big sports pages in Pakistan and India are writing about him. Here is everything we know, in simple words.
The short version
Adam Gilchrist is a 17-year-old student of Kamran Public School in Karachi. He plays as a left-handed wicketkeeper-batter, the same role the Australian Adam Gilchrist was famous for. In a match of the PCB Talent Hunt School Cricket Championship (Under-17), he scored 117 runs from 108 balls against Happy Palace Grammar School. His innings had 11 fours, his team made 297 for 4 in 40 overs, and they won the match by 172 runs.
But the sweetest part of the story is this: even with that name, his favourite player is not Gilchrist at all. His idol is Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara.
A century that made everyone look twice
Scoring a century in school cricket is already a big thing. Scoring one with that name is what made the whole internet smile.
Gilchrist opened the batting for Kamran Public School and made 117 from 108 balls. His score alone was nearly 39 percent of his team’s total of 297 for 4. Happy Palace Grammar School could not chase it, and Kamran Public School won by a huge margin of 172 runs.
The match was part of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s school talent hunt programme, which gives young players in the Under-15 and Under-17 age groups a proper stage to show their talent in organised cricket.
How did he get this name?
This is the part of the story everyone loves. According to the reports, his mother chose the name “Adam”. His father, who is a big cricket fan and used to watch a lot of cricket, added “Gilchrist” to it.
So the boy grew up with the name of one of the most famous wicketkeeper-batters in history — and, almost like a story written in advance, he also became a wicketkeeper-batter himself, and a left-handed one, just like the original.
In a video that has been shared widely online, the youngster introduces himself in simple words: “My name is Adam Gilchrist, and I play for Kamran Public School.”
The twist: his hero is Sangakkara
You would think a boy named Adam Gilchrist would worship the Australian legend. He does not — or at least, not the most.
When he was asked which cricketer he admires most, he named Kumar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lanka captain and one of the most elegant batters the game has seen. As reported from the same video, he said: “I want to be like Sangakkara because he is my favourite player.”
Fans online loved this twist. A Pakistani boy, named after an Australian legend, who dreams of playing like a Sri Lankan great — it is cricket bringing three countries together in one small story.
Who was the original Adam Gilchrist?
For younger readers, a quick reminder. Adam Gilchrist of Australia is one of the greatest wicketkeeper-batters of all time. He was famous for attacking batting from the first ball, and he changed the way the whole world looked at the wicketkeeper’s role.
He was a key part of the Australian team that won three ODI World Cups in a row — in 1999, 2003 and 2007. His most famous innings was a brilliant 149 in the 2007 World Cup final against Sri Lanka.
So the name is a heavy one to carry. The Karachi teenager is carrying it very well so far.
What happens next for the young Gilchrist?
It is important to keep expectations honest. This is school cricket, and one century does not make a career. Many young players shine at this level, and the road to professional cricket is long and hard.
But stories like his are exactly what talent hunt programmes are made for. The PCB’s school championship put him in an organised match, his performance got noticed, and now coaches and fans know his name — in every sense. If he keeps scoring runs and working on his keeping, he will get more chances at higher age-group levels.
For now, Pakistan’s Adam Gilchrist is simply a happy schoolboy whose name and century made the whole cricket world stop, smile, and read his story. That is a pretty good week for a 17-year-old.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Pakistan’s Adam Gilchrist?
He is a 17-year-old school cricketer from Karachi who studies at Kamran Public School. He shares his name with the Australian cricket legend Adam Gilchrist and, like him, is a left-handed wicketkeeper-batter.
How many runs did the Karachi Adam Gilchrist score?
He scored 117 runs from 108 balls, with 11 fours, against Happy Palace Grammar School in the PCB Talent Hunt School Cricket Championship (Under-17). His team made 297 for 4 and won by 172 runs.
Why is he named Adam Gilchrist?
According to reports, his mother chose the name Adam, and his father — a big cricket fan — added “Gilchrist” after the Australian star.
Who is his favourite cricketer?
Kumar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lanka captain. In a video shared online, the youngster said he wants to be like Sangakkara because Sangakkara is his favourite player.
Is he related to the Australian Adam Gilchrist?
No. The two are not related. They only share the same name — and the same job on a cricket field.
Sources: The Economic Times, Times Now News and CricToday reported this story on October 12, 2026. The quotes are from a video of the youngster that was shared on social media, as reported by these outlets.