T20I being more of batman’s game, many explosive batters have graced the game and entertained the audiences with some breathtaking knocks. As fans and players brace for long sixes, there is always craze for the centuries hit in World T20’s, rare occurrences in the format.
This article will list all the centuries that are hit in Men’s T20 World since its inception in 2007.
#1 Chris Gayle (WI) – 117 vs South Africa (2007, Johannesburg)
Chris Gayle’s innings of 117 off just 57 forced people to take notice of the pure power hitting in the first-ever World Cup in 2007. Facing a formidable South African bowling lineup, Gayle was in no mood to stop. Although West Indies lost the match, this maiden century made a lasting impression on cricket fans.
#2 Suresh Raina (IND) – 101 vs South Africa (2010, Gros Islet)
Left-handed middle-order Indian batsman Suresh Raina hit a century in 2010, an innings of 101 in 60 deliveries. South Africa had no clue about Raina’s master class. It included five towering sixes, well supported by other Indian batsmen. India won that match courtesy of Raina.
#3 Mahela Jayawardene (SL) – 100 vs Zimbabwe (2010, Providence)
Crafty Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka scored a perfect 100 in 64 balls just a day after Raina’s 101. Zimbabwe tried everything in their bowling armory but couldn’t stop the former Lankan skipper from reaching the three-figure mark. He won the match for SL and ‘Player of the Match,’ too, in a rain-curtailed contest.
#4 Brendon McCullum (NZ) – 123 vs Bangladesh (Pallekele, 2012)
Dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman from Kiwi land took apart Bangladeshi bowlers in Pallekele in the 2012 edition. 123 facing just 58 balls is the highest World T20 score to date. NZ won the match by a thumping margin of 59 runs.
#5 Alex Hales (ENG) – 116* vs Sri Lanka (2014, Chattogram)
Alex Hales used his long levers to great effect against Sri Lanka in the 2014 edition. Chasing a stiff total of 189, England needed a flying start. England had the worst possible start losing Micheal Lumb in the first over. Along with Morgan, Hales saw the English side home. Hales was awarded Player of the match POTM) for his winning cause of 116, not out in 64 balls.
#6 Ahmed Shehzad (PAK) – 111* vs Bangladesh (2014, Mirpur)
Pakistan batsman single-handedly helped his team reach a big total of 190 for five in the 2014 edition. 111 not out of 62 balls won him the man of the match against a weak Bangladesh bowling attack. Bangladesh ended with a score of 140 for seven wickets and lost by 50 runs.
#7 Tamim Iqbal (BAN) – 103* vs Oman (2016, Dharamsala)
Bangladeshi Legend batsman hit a 103 not out in 63 balls and carried his bat against Oman in the 2016 World Cup. Bangladesh bowlers proved too good for Oman batters as they were reduced to 65 for nine in 12 overs. Bangladesh won by 54 runs (D/L method)
#8 Chris Gayle (WI) – 100* vs England (2016, Wankhede)
It was Gayle storm, again, in India (2016). Gayle hit a match-winning 100 not out of 48 deliveries with 11 maximums. Gayle and Marlon Samuels piped England, who made 182 for six in their allotted 20 overs batting first. This time too, he won POTM. Check here the list of batters with most number of T20I centuries.
#9 Jos Buttler (ENG) – 101* vs Sri Lanka (2021, Sharjah)
The 2021 edition was played in the UAE. Buttler took to Lankan bowlers in a league match. England posted 163 for four batting first. Out of which 101 not out (off 67 balls) was Buttler’s contribution. England won the match as Sri Lanka was bundled out for just 137. Needless to say, he was POTM.
#9 Rilee Rossouw (SA) – 109 vs Bangladesh (2022, Sydney)
The first century of the 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup came from the Proteas nation against Bangladesh. Rilee Rossouw, batting at No. 3, added 170 runs for the 3rd wicket along with his partner, Quinton de Kock, who himself made a quick 63 off 38 balls. This Rossouw century came at a strike rate of 194.64, including 7 fours and 8 sixes. He was awarded the MOTM for his match-winning performance.
#10 Glenn Philips (NZ) – 104 vs Sri Lanka (2022, Sydney)
One man standing, Glenn Phillips, displayed a rocking performance against Sri Lanka, scoring 104 out of 167 runs the team scored. He also batted more than half of the team’s balls (64) and ensured the fall of wickets on the other end didn’t stop New Zealand from posting a decent total. For your information, this is the second century in the venue in the same World Cup.
After revisiting these brilliant knocks by amazing players, it is apt to call the World Cup a tournament to drop everything for. Eventually, these are records and records are meant to be broken. Let’s see how many will be added to this elite list in the coming years.
