Fastest Centuries in Cricket: Test, ODI and T20I Records
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The fastest men’s international century by format is Sahil Chauhan’s 27-ball T20I hundred, followed by AB de Villiers’ 31-ball ODI century and Brendon McCullum’s 54-ball Test hundred. Those records should not be merged into one universal table: a Test has no over limit, an ODI has 50 overs and a T20I has 20. For related pace marks, see the fastest balls in IPL history, highest strike rates in cricket, most sixes in international cricket and most runs in ODI cricket.
Who scored the fastest century in ODI cricket?
AB de Villiers holds the men’s ODI record with a 31-ball century for South Africa against West Indies in Johannesburg on 18 January 2015.
| Batter | Team | Balls | Opponent | Venue and date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB de Villiers | South Africa | 31 | West Indies | Johannesburg, 18 Jan 2015 |
| Corey Anderson | New Zealand | 36 | West Indies | Queenstown, 1 Jan 2014 |
| Shahid Afridi | Pakistan | 37 | Sri Lanka | Nairobi, 4 Oct 1996 |
The ICC records that de Villiers reached 50 from 16 balls and finished on 149 from 44. The table counts balls faced to reach 100, not elapsed minutes.
Who scored the fastest century in Test cricket?
Brendon McCullum holds the men’s Test record with a 54-ball hundred against Australia in Christchurch in 2016.
Tests make this record unusual because the format has no fixed over limit. McCullum attacked from the start, but the innings still had to survive Test bowling and field settings rather than a short-format powerplay alone.
Who scored the fastest century in T20I cricket?
Sahil Chauhan is listed with a 27-ball T20I century for Estonia.
T20I records can move quickly as more nations play official matches. That is why the record needs a governing-body or established record-source check, a match date and a clear distinction between T20I and domestic T20.
Why should these records stay separate?
Each format gives a batter a different number of deliveries, fielding restrictions and strategic incentive to attack.
- Tests: unlimited overs per innings, with declarations and changing conditions.
- ODIs: 50 overs per innings and fielding restrictions that change by phase.
- T20Is: 20 overs per innings and a shorter, higher-risk scoring window.
The same ball count therefore measures different tasks. A 54-ball Test hundred is not directly comparable with a 54-ball T20I hundred.
How are fastest-century records verified?
The record must be tied to an official match, a balls-faced count and a scorecard or recognised record source.
SportsMuntra excludes exhibition innings, domestic matches and unattributed clips from the international table. A corrected scorecard or new official record triggers a review.
Frequently asked questions
Fastest ODI century?
AB de Villiers, 31 balls.
Fastest Test century?
Brendon McCullum, 54 balls.
Fastest T20I century?
Sahil Chauhan, 27 balls, in the current record listing.
Why separate formats?
Their over limits and scoring conditions differ.
Do domestic T20s count?
No. Domestic and franchise records are separate.
Are women included?
Not in this men’s headline table; women’s records should be verified separately.
Bottom line
Fastest-century records are meaningful only when the format is named. De Villiers owns the men’s ODI benchmark, McCullum the Test mark and Chauhan the current T20I mark cited here. Every future update should preserve the balls-faced definition and official match scope.
Frequently asked questions
Who scored the fastest century in ODI cricket?+
AB de Villiers reached 100 from 31 balls for South Africa against West Indies in Johannesburg in 2015.
Who scored the fastest Test century?+
Brendon McCullum reached 100 from 54 balls against Australia in Christchurch in 2016.
Who scored the fastest T20I century?+
Sahil Chauhan scored a 27-ball T20I century for Estonia, according to the current record listing.
Why are the records separated by format?+
Tests have no over limit, ODIs have 50 overs per innings and T20Is have 20, so the scoring environments are not equivalent.
Does the fastest international century include domestic T20?+
No. Domestic T20, franchise and List A records are separate categories.
Are women's records included?+
This page gives the men's headline records and should be expanded with a separately verified women's table rather than merging categories.
Sources
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