Fastest Hundred in Cricket History

Getting to three figures is a landmark achievement for any batter in cricket irrespective of the format. With the increasing demand for attacking batting in modern cricket across all three formats, it becomes important for a batter to get to a target or a big total in no time and play some aggressive brand of cricket. We will discuss such examples of quickfire knocks across formats.

The fastest 100 in cricket history came in the T20 format. This is also the fastest 100 in T20 cricket history. Chris Gayle scored a hundred in 30 balls playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2013 IPL against Pune Warriors.

Following is the list of the Top 10 fastest hundreds in T20 cricket.

Fastest 100 in Test Cricket

Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has the world record for the fastest 100 in Test cricket. Having already announced his retirement from the format, McCullum dashed out to bat with his team struggling at 32/3 on the first day of the match. He smashed 21 fours and six sixes in his knock totaling 145 runs in 79 balls. He breached the 3-figure mark in 54 deliveries breaking the legendary Caribbean batter Vivian Richards and Misbah-ul-Haq’s joint record of 56 deliveries.

Following is the list of the Top 10 fastest hundreds in Test cricket.

In the famous 1986 series England toured the Caribbean and were 4-0 down in the Test series. Richards produced a classic knock batting in the 2nd innings and smashed the bowlers all around the park hitting 110 in 58 balls and remained not out. He broke Australian batter Jack Gregory’s 65-year-old record for the fastest ton in Test cricket. 28 years later, Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul Haq equalled Richards’ feat.

Back in 1921, Jack Gregory produced a timeless knock helped by 3 chances to score a 67-ball century against South Africa in Johannesburg. He got to the hundred in only 70 minutes. His compatriot Adam Gilchrist bettered the record with a 57-ball hundred in an Ashes Test at Perth. Coincidentally the list features 3 other superfast knocks at the same venue with Roy Fredericks (71 balls), Chris Gayle (70 balls; both playing for West Indies) and then David Warner (69 balls against India) slamming tons.

Another Caribbean batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul makes the list with him scoring a 69-ball century against Australia in Georgetown in 2003. Batting first, West Indies was down in the dumps losing 4 wickets for 47 when batting at 6, Chanderpaul smashed the bowling attack comprising Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Andy Bichel, Brad Hogg and Stuart MacGill to all parts of the ground, Australia eventually won the Test.

New Zealand allrounder Colin de Grandhomme hit a 71-ball century against West Indies in 2017. It is the fastest maiden hundred for any batter in Test cricket. He broke English batter Gilbert Jessop’s 76-ball record in the 1902 Ashes.

Fastest 100 In ODI Cricket

South Africa’s former leader AB de Villiers has the astonishing feat of hitting a 31-ball century to his name. He achieved that feat while blasting 149 runs against West Indies in a home series in 2015. He went past New Zealand’s Corey Anderson’s record by 5 deliveries. Coincidentally Anderson also smashed the fastest ODI ton against the same West Indies side a year ago. In the same match, his compatriot Jesse Ryder fired a 46-ball century.

Following is the list of the Top 10 fastest hundreds in ODI cricket.

Before Anderson, Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi held the record of the fastest ODI century for 18 years smashing 102 in 40 balls in his first-ever ODI innings. It is still the fastest maiden century in the format. Australian middle-order stalwart Glenn Maxwell hit a sizzling 40-ball hundred in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 against the Netherlands. It is the fastest century in the history of World Cups. Earlier in 2023, UAE’s Asif Khan hit a 41-ball ton against Nepal in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 fixture.

South African stumper Mark Boucher fired 147 in 68 balls remaining unbeaten to help the team deposit 418/5 against Zimbabwe in 2006. His 44-ball ton was the fastest century by a South Africa batter in ODIs as he beat Herschelle Gibbs’ record of 79-ball hundred against Australia the same year.

In 1999, West Indies captain Brian Lara smashed 117 in 62 balls getting to the three-figure mark in 45 deliveries against Bangladesh. Shahid Afridi features in the list again as he equalled Lara’s 45-ball ton in a spectacular performance against India in Kanpur in 2005. English batter Jos Buttler scored a 46-ball hundred against Pakistan in 2015 and also hit a 47-ball ton against the Netherlands in 2022. The hundred against the Netherlands helped England score 498/4, the highest-ever ODI total.

Fastest 100 In T20I

Nepal’s Kushal Malla created history in the 2023 Asian Games men’s cricket competition smashing a 34-ball century against Mongolia. Malla smashed 12 sixes and 8 fours finishing unbeaten at 137 in 50 deliveries. He thrashed South African David Miller, Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Czech Republic’s Sudesh Wickramasekara’s record of the fastest century in T20Is (35 balls).

Following is the list of the Top 10 fastest hundreds in T20I cricket.