Reaching a century is a milestone achievement for any batter, no matter the format. In modern cricket, where aggressive batting is prioritized, achieving quick centuries has become more significant, especially in short formats. Here’s a look at some record-breaking rapid hundreds across cricket’s formats.
The fastest hundred in cricket history it occurred in T20 format. Chris Gayle hit a hundred off just 30 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against Pune Warriors during the IPL in 2013.
Top 10 Fastest Centuries in T20 Cricket
| PLAYER | BALLS | TEAM | OPPONENT | VENUE | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. Gayle | 30 | RCB | Pune Warriors | Bangalore | 2013 |
| R. Pant | 32 | Delhi | Himachal Pradesh | Delhi | 2018 |
| W. Lubbe | 33 | North West | Limpopo | Paarl | 2018 |
| A. Symonds | 34 | Kent | Middlesex | Maidstone | 2004 |
| S. Abbott | 34 | Surrey | Kent | The Oval | 2023 |
| K. Malla | 34 | Nepal | Mongolia | Hangzhou | 2023 |
| L. van der Westhuizen | 35 | Namibia | Kenya | Windhoek | 2011 |
| D. Miller | 35 | South Africa | Bangladesh | Potchefstroom | 2017 |
| R. Sharma | 35 | India | Sri Lanka | Indore | 2017 |
| M. Guptill | 35 | Worcestershire | Northamptonshire | Northampton | 2018 |
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Fastest Centuries in Test Cricket
Brendon McCullum of New Zealand holds the record for the quickest century in Tests, achieved in 54 balls against Australia in Christchurch in 2016. McCullum’s blitz jointly surpassed the previous record set by Viv Richards and Misbah-ul-Haq, who reached their tons in 56 balls.
| PLAYER | BALLS | OPPONENT | VENUE | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brendon McCullum (NZ) | 54 | Australia | Christchurch | 2016 |
| Viv Richards (WI) | 56 | England | St. John’s | 1986 |
| Misbah-ul-Haq (PAK) | 56 | Australia | Abu Dhabi | 2014 |
| Adam Gilchrist (AUS) | 57 | England | Perth | 2006 |
| Jack Gregory (AUS) | 67 | South Africa | Johannesburg | 1921 |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) | 69 | Australia | Georgetown | 2003 |
| David Warner (AUS) | 69 | India | Perth | 2012 |
| Chris Gayle (WI) | 70 | Australia | Perth | 2009 |
| Roy Fredericks (WI) | 71 | Australia | Perth | 1975 |
| Colin de Grandhomme (NZ) | 71 | West Indies | Wellington | 2017 |
In 1986, Viv Richards set the fastest Test century mark in the 2nd innings against England, which Misbah-ul-Haq matched in 2014.
Fastest Centuries in ODI Cricket
AB de Villiers of South Africa achieved the quickest ODI century, reaching 100 in just 31 balls against the West Indies in 2015, surpassing Corey Anderson’s record by 5 deliveries.
| PLAYER | BALLS | OPPONENT | VENUE | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB de Villiers (SA) | 31 | West Indies | Johannesburg | 2015 |
| Corey Anderson (NZ) | 36 | West Indies | Queenstown | 2014 |
| Shahid Afridi (PAK) | 37 | Sri Lanka | Nairobi | 1996 |
| Glenn Maxwell (AUS) | 40 | Netherlands | Delhi | 2023 |
| Asif Khan (UAE) | 41 | Nepal | Kirtipur | 2023 |
| Mark Boucher (SA) | 44 | Zimbabwe | Potchefstroom | 2006 |
| Brian Lara (WI) | 45 | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 1999 |
| Shahid Afridi (PAK) | 45 | India | Kanpur | 2005 |
| Jesse Ryder (NZ) | 46 | West Indies | Queenstown | 2014 |
| Jos Buttler (ENG) | 46 | Pakistan | Dubai | 2015 |
Glenn Maxwell set a World Cup record for the fastest century with a 40-ball ton against the Netherlands in 2023. Afridi’s 37-ball century remains the fastest maiden hundred in ODIs.
Fastest Centuries in T20I Cricket
Nepal’s Kushal Malla made history with a 34-ball T20I century against Mongolia at the 2023 Asian Games, surpassing the previous record of 35 balls.
| PLAYER | BALLS | OPPONENT | VENUE | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kushal Malla (NEPAL) | 34 | Mongolia | Hangzhou | 2023 |
| David Miller (SA) | 35 | Bangladesh | Potchefstroom | 2017 |
| Rohit Sharma (IND) | 35 | Sri Lanka | Indore | 2017 |
| Sudesh Wickramasekara (CZE) | 35 | Turkey | Ilfov County | 2019 |
| Sivakumar Periyalwar (ROM) | 39 | Turkey | Ilfov County | 2019 |
| Zeeshan Kukikhel (HUN) | 39 | Austria | Lower Austria | 2022 |
| Johnson Charles (WI) | 39 | South Africa | Centurion | 2023 |
| Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (JPN) | 40 | South Korea | Sano | 2022 |
| Ollie Hairs (SCO) | 40 | Italy | Edinburgh | 2023 |
| George Munsey (SCO) | 41 | Netherlands | Malahide | 2019 |
David Miller reached his 35-ball hundred against Bangladesh in 2017, matched by Rohit Sharma versus Sri Lanka the same year.
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