There have been some thrilling performances at the T20 World Cup, with power batters redefining the rules of the game. The fastest hundreds in the T20 World Cup highlight the exciting nature of the shortest format, from scorching blows that surprise the opposition to record-breaking innings that carve players’ names in cricket history. Let’s examine the fastest and most memorable centuries in the history of the tournament.
Eleven centuries have been scored in the eight editions of the T20 World Cup, from 2007 to 2024. Chris Gayle is the only player to have scored two T20 World Cup hundreds and also holds the record for the fastest century in a T20 World Cup match.
Fastest centuries in T20 World Cup
Chris Gayle holds the record for the fastest T20 World Cup century, taking only 47 balls to reach 100 runs. He also holds the second-fastest record, scoring a hundred in 50 balls. Brendon McCullum is third on the list, having taken 51 balls to hit a ton in 2012.
| Player | Balls | Runs | 4s | 6s | Against | Year |
| Chris Gayle (WI) | 47 | 100* | 5 | 11 | England | 2016 |
| Chris Gayle (WI) | 50 | 117 | 7 | 10 | South Africa | 2007 |
| Brendon McCullum (NZ) | 51 | 123 | 11 | 7 | Bangladesh | 2012 |
| Rilee Rossouw (SA) | 52 | 109 | 7 | 8 | Bangladesh | 2022 |
| Ahmed Shehzad (PAK) | 58 | 111* | 10 | 5 | Bangladesh | 2014 |
| Suresh Raina (IND) | 59 | 101 | 9 | 5 | South Africa | 2010 |
| Alex Hales(ENG) | 60 | 116* | 11 | 6 | Sri Lanka | 2014 |
| Tamim Iqbal (BAN) | 60 | 103* | 10 | 5 | Oman | 2016 |
| Glenn Phillips (NZ) | 61 | 104 | 10 | 4 | Sri Lanka | 2022 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (SL) | 63 | 100 | 10 | 4 | Zimbabwe |
