Top 7 Fastest Centuries in ODIs Cricket History

In One Day International (ODI) cricket, a century means scoring one hundred runs. Most batsmen take eighty, ninety, or even a hundred balls to reach this milestone. However, the story of the fastest centuries is different. These are scored in fewer than fifty balls. To achieve this, a batsman has to hit boundaries in almost every over. This requires perfect timing, courage, and a willingness to take risks, which could also lead to their dismissal.

Seven players in the history of cricket have scored the fastest ODI centuries. These players hail from South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, Australia, the UAE, and the West Indies. The fastest century was scored in just 31 balls. The slowest of these seven fastest centuries was scored in 45 balls. These are all extraordinary achievements. The bowlers who faced these batsmen remember them. The spectators who witnessed them remember them. These innings changed the course of matches and set records that have stood the test of time.

7 Fastest ODI Centuries

1. AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers is from South Africa. He scored the fastest One Day International (ODI) century in cricket history. He achieved this feat in just 31 balls. The match was played between South Africa and West Indies in Johannesburg on January 18, 2015. He scored 149 runs. He hit sixteen sixes and nine fours.

31 balls means scoring a century in just over five overs. The strike rate was over 300. He scored more than three runs per ball. Sixteen sixes mean he sent the ball over the boundary sixteen times. The ball was repeatedly flying into the stands. The West Indies tried different bowlers and different fielding positions. Nothing worked.

This record has stood for over ten years. Breaking it requires perfection. You can’t defend. You can’t play dot balls. You have to hit boundaries consistently without getting out. De Villiers did exactly that. This innings is considered one of the greatest innings in ODI history. When people talk about the most destructive batting performances of all time, this innings is always mentioned.

2. Corey Anderson

Corey Anderson is from New Zealand. He scored a century off 36 balls against the West Indies in Queenstown on January 1, 2014. He remained unbeaten on 131 runs. He hit fourteen sixes and six fours.

This was the fastest ODI century at the time, a record that was broken a year later by AB de Villiers. Thirty-six balls perfectly illustrate his dominance. Fourteen sixes mean the ball went over the boundary fourteen times in 36 deliveries. Almost every other ball went for a boundary or more. The West Indies bowling attack had no answer.

Anderson’s innings came on New Year’s Day. It was a treat for the Queenstown crowd, who witnessed something they had never seen before. New Zealand posted a massive total. The West Indies couldn’t chase it down. The match was decided by Anderson’s blistering 36-ball innings.

3. Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi is from Pakistan. He scored a century in 37 balls against Sri Lanka in Nairobi on October 4, 1996. He made 102 runs, including 11 sixes and 6 fours.

This was the first ODI century scored in fewer than 40 balls. It set a new standard for the fastest century. Afridi was young; he was playing only his second ODI match. He came in and immediately started attacking. Sri Lanka’s bowling attack was experienced and skilled, yet he dismantled it.

The 11 sixes in 37 balls demonstrate his fearless batting. This innings made Afridi famous worldwide. He played for Pakistan for almost two decades, but this innings from his second match remained his most celebrated achievement. It introduced him to the world. After Nairobi, everyone knew his name.

4. Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell is from Australia. He scored a century off 40 balls against the Netherlands in Delhi on October 25, 2023. He scored 106 runs. He hit eight sixes and nine fours.

This is a recent event. It happened during the 2023 World Cup. Maxwell is known for his explosive batting. Against the Netherlands, he showed why. Scoring a century in 40 balls is incredibly fast. Eight sixes and nine fours mean seventeen boundaries in 40 balls. Almost every other ball went for a boundary or over the boundary.

The Netherlands tried everything. Maxwell kept scoring runs. Australia posted a massive total. The match was practically decided even before the Netherlands’ batting innings began. Maxwell’s 40 balls had sealed the deal.

5. Asif Khan

Asif Khan is from the UAE. He scored a century off just 41 balls against Nepal in Kirtipur on March 16, 2023. He remained unbeaten on 101 runs, which included eleven sixes and four fours.

This is particularly significant because the UAE is not among the traditional Test-playing nations. Asif Khan has joined an elite list of players, most of whom hail from major cricketing countries. His 41-ball century demonstrates his exceptional power-hitting ability. Hitting eleven sixes in 41 balls is a testament to his incredible power.

The Nepali bowlers were under immense pressure. It seemed that every ball Khan faced was destined to go over the boundary. This innings has put UAE cricket on the world map. It has shown that brilliant batting can come from anywhere.

6. Mark Boucher

Mark Boucher is from South Africa. He scored a century off 44 balls against Zimbabwe in Potchefstroom on September 20, 2006. He remained unbeaten on 147, hitting ten sixes and eight fours.

Boucher was primarily a wicketkeeper and batted in the middle or lower order. Against Zimbabwe, he came in and completely dismantled the bowling attack. Scoring a century in just 44 balls demonstrates the incredible pace of his innings. He didn’t stop at 100, continuing to score and finishing unbeaten on 147. The ten sixes highlight his consistent power-hitting throughout the innings.

Zimbabwe couldn’t contain him, and South Africa posted a massive total. Boucher’s innings from a lower-order position showed that a quick century can be scored from anywhere in the batting lineup.

7. Brian Lara

Brian Lara is from the West Indies. He scored a century off 45 balls against Bangladesh in Dhaka on October 9, 1999. He scored a total of 117 runs. He hit four sixes and eighteen fours.

Lara is considered one of the greatest batsmen in cricket history. His 45-ball century demonstrates that he could score runs quickly whenever he wanted. What’s remarkable is that he hit only four sixes but eighteen fours. Most fast centuries rely heavily on sixes. Lara relied on placement and timing to hit eighteen boundaries along the ground or over the fielders’ heads.

Against Bangladesh in Dhaka, he showed that scoring runs quickly doesn’t just require power. It requires timing, skill, and the ability to consistently find the gaps. Eighteen fours in 45 balls means a boundary almost every other ball without clearing the boundary rope. It’s a different approach, but equally effective.

The Bangladeshi bowling attack had no answer. Lara scored 117 runs. This innings showcased his class and his ability to score runs at his own pace. When he decided to play fast, he was scoring runs as quickly as anyone else, but with more style and greater variety.

Read More: Most Centuries in Cricket History (Tests+ODIs+T20ls)