Top 10 Fastest Centuries In IPL History (2008–2026)

Chris Gayle

The record for the fastest century in IPL history belongs to Chris Gayle, who scored a century in just 30 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in Bangalore on 23 April 2013. Thirty balls. One hundred runs. The statistic seems impossible until you remember that Gayle was at the crease, then it seems not only possible but almost inevitable.
He didn’t play a single innings. He exploded. Every bowler for Pune Warriors became part of the same problem, which was that after Gayle made it, there was no safe length, no safe area, no plan that could hold together for more than one ball. In thirteen years, no one has come within five balls of this record, and the difference between first and second on this list tells you everything about how far ahead Gayle was of everyone else in Bangalore that night.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi

On 28 April 2025, Vaibhav Suryavanshi completed a century in 35 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans in Jaipur and declared himself in the IPL in a way that left no doubt about the kind of player he has become.

His century in thirty-five balls puts him in second place on this list, and the significance of this position is more than his age, opportunity and the aggression he used to get there. He didn’t look like a player who was finding his feet in the tournament. He looked like a player waiting for the tournament to catch up with him, having decided that that was what he was waiting for that evening in Jaipur.

Yusuf Pathan

On 13 March 2010, he scored a 37-ball century for Rajasthan Royals against Mumbai Indians in Mumbai, like all his best innings: suddenly, completely, with such force that the opposition team had no response, before they fully understood what was happening. He was one of the most destructive batsmen in the early years of the IPL. This innings was a perfect expression of his ability when everything came together and the ball reached the middle of the bat and the bowlers could not plan against him.

Heinrich Klaasen

Henrich Klaasen scored a century in 37 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders in Delhi on 25 May 2025, confirming what his fans have been arguing for years: when the conditions are right and the ball is coming to bat, he is one of the most dangerous middle-order batsmen in T20 cricket. 37 balls ties him with Yusuf Pathan on this list, and the company is right as both players fall into the category of players who hit the ball so hard and so cleanly that the game changes shape around them when they find their range.

David Miller

David Miller scored a century off 38 balls for Kings XI Punjab against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Mohali on 06 May 2013, earning him the nickname Killer Miller, in a format where such a name is more than earned. Thirty-eight balls puts him in fifth place on this list, and this innings was built on a special quality that defines him: the ability to pick up pace from any platform, from any position in the innings, and reach a scoring rate that the bowling team has no tactical answer to.

Travis Head

On 15 April 2024, Travis Head scored a 39-ball century for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru, a blistering performance that established him as one of the most fearsome openers in all formats of the game. Thirty-nine balls ties him with Priyansh Arya for sixth place on this list, and this innings reflects everything Head does when he is in form: attacking from the first ball and never letting the bowling team feel that any length or line is safe enough to settle.

Priyansh Arya

On 7 April 2025, he scored a 39-ball century for Punjab Kings against Chennai Super Kings in Mullanpur, and declared himself with an innings that immediately placed him among the fastest century-scorers in the history of the tournament.

Thirty-nine balls at the highest level of T20 cricket against an experienced attack like Chennai Super Kings is a performance that requires more than just the ability to hit the ball hard. When the pitch changes, bowlers change their plans, it takes composure to keep hitting hard, the pressure of what you are doing starts to weigh on you. Arya endured it all and kept going.

Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma scored a 40-ball century for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Punjab Kings in Hyderabad on 12 April 2025. He added his name to the extraordinary batting atmosphere created by Sunrisers Hyderabad and the franchise in 2025.

Forty balls brings him to eighth place on this list, and this innings was in line with what he had shown throughout the season. He is a batsman who can put attacks under pressure from the very first over and sustain that pressure for long enough to completely shape the match.

Will Jacks

Playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on 28 April 2024, Will Jacks scored a century off 41 balls. He played an innings that made Indian cricket fans stand up and drew attention to an English batsman who came to the IPL and immediately played as if he belonged there.

41 balls puts him at ninth place on this list, and this innings showcased the full range of his hitting, which is not just based on brute force. But also on clean striking, smart shot selection and a willingness to take on any bowler at any stage of the innings if given the chance.

Adam Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist scored a century off 42 balls for Deccan Chargers against Mumbai Indians in Mumbai on 27 April 2008, a century he achieved in the very first season of the IPL, when most cricketers were already wondering what would happen next.

In 2008, when the IPL was still new and the game had not yet fully grasped the format, Gilchrist’s forty-two balls put him in a category of his own on this list because he was not following a template. He was helping to write one. Every batsman who has come after him and swung from the first ball, believing that that attack was the right answer, is doing something that Gilchrist showed in the first year of the tournament and throughout his career was possible, and proved that it was not luck but method.

Read More: Most Dot Balls in IPL History (2008–2026)

Conclusion

This innings has left a lasting mark on IPL matches and how the tournament thinks about what a batsman can do in twenty overs when the conditions are right and the confidence is strong. Chris Gayle sits at the top with 30 balls, and in thirteen years the gap between him and second place has not narrowed. Future IPL stars will try to challenge this benchmark and push the limits, and some of them will come close. What Gayle did in Bangalore on 23 April 2013 will be needed to achieve something truly extraordinary. The tournament is still waiting for him.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Who has the fastest century in IPL history?

Chris Gayle. Thirty balls. A century. It wasn’t just batting, it was fireworks. Gayle wasn’t just playing cricket that night; he was taking charge. Every bowler felt the pressure, every field seemed small. That innings became the definition of IPL, with a powerful, fast and merciless strike.

Q2. Which young player made it to the top five fastest centuries?

Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Just 35 balls for the century, and people were talking about it even before the game was over. That innings wasn’t just about runs. It was an announcement: “I’m here, IPL, and I’m not going to come quietly.”

Q3. Who else from Rajasthan Royals is on this list?

Yusuf Pathan. Thirteen years ago, he hit a century off 37 balls and reminded everyone why he is called a destructive force. Time, power, guts, all in a single innings. Royals fans still talk about him like it was yesterday.

Q4. Are there any middle-order batsmen on this list?

Absolutely. Heinrich Klaasen and Abhishek Sharma showed that you don’t have to open the innings to score the fastest century. They come in, assess the situation, and in the blink of an eye the shape of the game changes.