Fastest Century in T20 Cricket History: Records, Players, and Stats

Has anyone ever seen a batter turn into a tempest? The type that turns bowling attacks flat and leaves viewers gasping? That, my friend, is the whirlwind of sixes, boundaries, and incredulity of afastest century in T20 cricket.

In T20's dynamic approach, where every delivery could alter momentum, a century is a statement rather than merely a mark-down. When a player achieves the 100-run milestone faster than anyone else in history, however, what follows? Let us enter that fascinating universe.

Following his run to his 100 in just 27 balls against Cyprus in a bilateral series match in June 2024, Estonia batter Sahil Chauhan owns the record for the fastest century in T20 cricket.

Chauhan was dismissed for a duck in the first battle in Episkopi but shined in the second of two matches booked for the same day. Chauhan hit an undefeated 144 off 41 balls to bring his team home in the 13th over and six wickets to spare from Cyprus's score of 201/7. In T20I cricket, the knock also fastest century.

During his innings Chauhan also slammed eighteen sixes, matching Chris Gayle's record for the most sixes struck in a T20 innings.

With T20, what defines the fastest century?

Fundamentally, theleast number of balls faced to get 100 runs defines a fastest T20 century. Unlike ODIs or tests, there is not time for building. Time only allows one to attack, and forcefully. One can find this record in: T20 Internationals (T20I) are official games between countries T20 Leagues Like the IPL, PSL, BBL Domestic T20 events, franchise-based competitions including Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

"Every ball in T20 cricket represents either a disaster in disguise or an opportunity."

Fastest Century in T20 International (T20I) Cricket

Record Holder: Sahil Chauhan - 27 Balls Match: Estonia vs Cyprus, June 2024

Player: Balls for 100, Country, Opponent, Year
Sahil Chauhan: 27, Estonia, Cyprus, 2024
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: 32, India A, UAE, 2025
Fin Allen: 33, New Zealand, South Africa, 2026
Kushal Malla: 34, Nepal, Mongolia, 2023
David Miller: 35, South Africa, Bangladesh, 2017
Rohit Sharma: 35, India, Sri Lanka, 2017
S Wickramasekara: 35, Czech Republic, Turkey, 2019

Important Note: The Nepal vs Mongolia match also saw the highest team score in T20Is - a whopping 314/3.

Fastest Century in T20 Leagues: Chris Gayle, The Universe Boss

Record Holder: Chris Gayle - 30 Balls Match: RCB vs Pune Warriors, IPL 2013

April 23, 2013. The day cricket paused and watched in awe. Chris Gayle turned the Chinnaswamy Stadium into a concert hall of destruction. His unbeaten 175 off 66 balls still remains the highest individual score in T20 cricket.

Player: Balls for 100, Team, Opponent, League, Year
Chris Gayle: 30, RCB, Pune Warriors, IPL, 2013
Rishabh Pant: 32, Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers, IPL, 2018
Wihan Lubbe: 33, Warriors, Knights, CSA T20, 2017

Fun Fact: During his innings, Gayle hit 17 sixes - that's more than one per four balls.

Top 10 Fastest Centuries in T20 Cricket (All Formats Combined)

Rank: Player, Balls for Century, Format, Year
1: Chris Gayle, 30, IPL, 2013
2: Kushal Malla, 34, T20I, 2023
3: Rishabh Pant, 32, IPL, 2018
4: David Miller, 35, T20I, 2017
5: Rohit Sharma, 35, T20I, 2017
6: Wihan Lubbe, 33, CSA T20, 2017
7: Yusuf Pathan, 37, IPL, 2010
8: Andrew Symonds, 34, BBL, 2004
9: Glenn Maxwell, 38, BBL, 2014
10: KL Rahul, 46, IPL, 2018

Indian Players with Fastest T20 Centuries

India has produced some thunderous hitters, and a few of them have etched their names in gold.

Rohit Sharma - 35-ball ton vs Sri Lanka (T20I, 2017)
KL Rahul - 46-ball ton vs Delhi (IPL, 2018)
Yusuf Pathan - 37-ball ton for Rajasthan Royals (IPL, 2010)
Rishabh Pant - Explosive 32-ball hundred in IPL (Delhi Capitals)

Each century brought goosebumps. Stadiums erupted, and millions watching at home knew - they were witnessing magic.

"Rohit's timing isn't just sweet; it's symphonic."

Fastest Century in T20 World Cup

Ironically, no one has yet scored a century faster than 50 balls in a T20 World Cup. But players like Yuvraj Singh have come close to redefining fast knocks.

Yuvraj Singh - 58 (12-ball fifty) vs England, 2007
Chris Gayle - 100 (50 balls) vs England, 2016
Glenn Maxwell - 88 (29 balls) vs Netherlands, 2022

Quote: "Yuvraj didn't just hit six sixes; he hit every boundary of belief."

The Science Behind Fast Centuries

You might wonder, what makes a batter achieve this level of devastation? It's not just strength - it's a symphony of technique, timing, mental clarity, and fearlessness.

Key ingredients include:

Exploiting Powerplay overs
Predicting bowler patterns
Using innovative shots (scoops, switch-hits)
Quick footwork and eye coordination

Interesting Fact: Bat technology has improved power generation by 30% over the last decade.

ALSO READ : Powerplay in Cricket: The Game-Changing Overs That Define Matches

Fastest Century in IPL: Unmatched by Time

Chris Gayle's 30-ball IPL ton is still the benchmark. Others came close, but no cigar.

Player: Balls for 100, Team, Year
Chris Gayle: 30, RCB, 2013
Yusuf Pathan: 37, RR, 2010
David Miller: 38, KXIP, 2013
KL Rahul: 46, KXIP, 2018

Deadzone Fact: Chris Gayle's bat used in the 175* match was auctioned for charity and fetched over USD 20,000.

T20 vs Other Formats: The Century Race

Format: Fastest Century (Player), Balls, Year
Test: Brendon McCullum, 54, 2016
ODI: AB de Villiers, 31, 2015
T20: Chris Gayle, 30, 2013

In Tests, time waits. In ODIs, it allows. But in T20s? Time vanishes - and the batter must chase it down.

ALSO READ : Unbreakable Bonds: Highest Partnerships in Test & ODI Cricket History

Looking Ahead: Who Might Break the Next Record?

With rising strike rates and fearless batting in leagues like IPL, PSL, and BBL, the next record might not be too far.

Will it be Suryakumar Yadav with his 360 degree shot range?
Or maybe a young star from associate nations?

Only time - and a few balls - will tell.

Conclusion

In the realm of T20 cricket, a century scored at lightning pace is more than just numbers - it's poetry written in boundaries. It's adrenaline. It's history made in a matter of minutes.

As fans, we wait for that one inning that will again break all limits. Because cricket, like life, always leaves room for the next miracle.

FAQ

Who holds the record for the fastest century in T20 International cricket?

Kushal Malla from Nepal scored a century in just 34 balls against Mongolia.

Who has the fastest T20 century in the Indian Premier League?

Chris Gayle scored a 30-ball hundred in IPL 2013 for RCB.

Has any Indian scored a century faster than 35 balls in T20s?

No Indian has beaten the 35-ball mark yet, but Rohit Sharma equaled it in T20Is.

Can Chris Gayle's record be broken in the future?

With evolving techniques and fearless youth, it's possible.

What's the secret behind scoring a fast century in T20?

Aggressive mindset, innovation in shot selection, and capitalizing on weak bowling.