In the T20I format, scoring runs at a faster pace is quite crucial, given the limited resources available at hand. So, even quick 30-40 runs at a higher strike rate play a pivotal role.
However, a few batters continue their momentum and convert their starts into brilliant centuries. Many notable batters have scored hundreds while dominating in a particular batting position.
In this article, we’ll look at the batters with the most centuries at each batting position in T20Is.
Most Centuries at Each Batting Position in T20Is
Position/No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opener | Rohit Sharma – 5 | Babar Azam – 3 | Sabawoon Davizi – 3 | Muhammad Waseem – 3 | Phil Salt – 3 |
No. 3 | Leslie Dunbar – 2 | Rilee Rossouw – 2 | Josh Inglis – 2 | Ahmed Faiz – 1 | Babar Hayat – 1 |
No. 4 | Glenn Maxwell – 4 | Suryakumar Yadav – 3 | Glenn Phillips – 2 | Dipendra Airee – 1 | Babar Hayat – 1 |
No. 5 | David Miller – 2 | Mark Chapman – 1 | Liam Livingstone – 1 | Sivakumar Periyalwar – 1 | Varun Thamotharam – 1 |
No. 6 | Shaheryar Butt – 1 | – | – | – | – |
No. 8 | Saber Zakhil – 1 | – | – | – | – |
Key Insights
1: India’s dashing opening batter Rohit Sharma and Australia’s Glenn Maxwell are the leading centurions in the shortest format. Sharma’s all hundreds have come as an opener, while Maxwell’s most of the tons have come while batting at No. 4.
3: India’s captain Rohit Sharma and Pakistan’s former skipper Babar Azam have each notched up 3 or more T20I hundreds as captains of their teams. Interestingly, both of the players have achieved this feat while opening the batting.
2: Serbia’s Leslie Dunbar has scored the most hundreds as a wicketkeeper while batting at No. 3. The keeper-batter has scored 2 centuries, with both of his 100+ scores featuring among the highest scores by wicketkeepers in T20Is.
172: Australia’s former captain Aaron Finch scored the highest score as an opener in the 20-over format. He accumulated 172 runs in 76 balls against Zimbabwe in 2018.
2: Only 2 batters have scored T20I centuries while coming to bat at No. 6 or lower positions. Saber Zakhil, one of the 2 batters, is the sole tailender — No. 8 to No. 11 — to bring up the three figures. Zakhil came to bat on the last ball of the 6th over when Belgium were 8 down on 14 runs. Then he played an impressive knock of an unbeaten 100 to lift his team’s total to 146/8.
0: No batter has managed to score a century while coming to bat at No. 7, 9, 10, and 11.
The following are the highest scores achieved by batters in the above-mentioned positions:
- No. 7: Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan) | 89 vs Ireland
- No. 9: Ali Nayyer (Switzerland) | 48* vs France
- No. 10: Akeal Hosein (West Indies) | 44* vs England
- No. 11: Khalid Ahmadi (Belgium) | 31* vs Malta
It’s unlikely any batter from lower-order will score hundreds, but never say never.