Batting has become a lot easier in the T20I format, with batters going bonkers right from the ball one. This has resulted in batters accumulating runs at a rapid pace, bringing huge scores, sometimes even hundreds off fewer balls.
However, scoring a century in the shortest format is a mighty task for any batter, as they have limited balls at their disposal. A few batters, though, have made the most of it, slamming hundreds in record balls.
Now, imagine a batter doing this in the high-octane T20 World Cup. The Universe Boss Chris Gayle made it all look easy when he scored a 47-ball century against England in 2016.
On that note, let’s look at the list of batters with the fastest centuries in T20 World Cup history.
Fastest Centuries in T20 World Cup
| Player | Balls Taken to 100 | Final Score | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Gayle (WI) | 47 | 100* (48) | England | Wankhede | 16 Mar 2016 |
| Chris Gayle (WI) | 50 | 117 (57) | South Africa | Johannesburg | 11 Sep 2007 |
| Brendon McCullum (NZ) | 51 | 123 (58) | Bangladesh | Pallekele | 21 Sep 2012 |
| Rilee Rossouw (SA) | 52 | 109 (56) | Bangladesh | Sydney | 27 Oct 2022 |
| Ahmed Shehzad (PAK) | 58 | 111* (62) | Bangladesh | Mirpur | 30 Mar 2014 |
| Suresh Raina (IND) | 59 | 101 (60) | South Africa | Gros Islet | 2 May 2010 |
| Alex Hales (ENG) | 60 | 116* (64) | Sri Lanka | Chattogram | 27 Mar 2014 |
| Tamim Iqbal (BAN) | 60 | 103* (63) | Oman | Dharamsala | 13 Mar 2016 |
| Glenn Phillips (NZ) | 61 | 104 (64) | Sri Lanka | Sydney | 29 Oct 2022 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (SL) | 63 | 100 (64) | Zimbabwe | Providence | 3 May 2010 |
| Jos Buttler (ENG) | 67 | 101* (67) | Sri Lanka | Sharjah | 1 Nov 2021 |
Key Insights
Chris Gayle holds the record for smashing the fastest century in T20 World Cup history. In fact, he has hammered 2 of the quickest tons in the competition, with one coming off 47 balls and the other in 50 balls.
In contrast, Jos Buttler has scored the slowest hundred in the premier T20 competition. He took 67 balls to bring up his ton against Sri Lanka in 2021.
Gayle was also the first man to reach triple-digit figures in T20Is and is the only batter with 2 hundreds in the World Cup.
Brendon McCullum’s 51-ball 100 is the fastest by a designated wicketkeeper-batter in the T20 World Cup. His 123 against Bangladesh is the highest individual score in the tournament’s history.
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