Fastest T20 Century 2026: Fastest 100s in T20 Cricket, T20I & IPL, Broken Records

A century in T20 cricket is already a remarkable achievement because batters have only 120 deliveries available in an innings. Scoring 100 runs is difficult; reaching the milestone in fewer than 30 balls is an extraordinary feat. As of September 2026, Sahil Chauhan holds the record for the fastest century in senior men’s T20 cricket, reaching 100 from just 27 balls for Estonia against Cyprus in June 2024. His innings also established the fastest men’s T20I century.

The record has a fascinating history. Chris Gayle’s famous 30-ball century for Royal Challengers Bangalore had been regarded as the fastest century in professional T20 cricket for more than 11 years before Chauhan broke it. In 2026, India’s Abhishek Sharma added another major entry to the record books by scoring a T20I century in 30 balls against Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Finn Allen’s 33-ball hundred became the fastest century in men’s T20 World Cup history.

What Is the Fastest T20 Century

The fastest T20 century is determined by the number of legal deliveries a batter faces before reaching 100 runs. For example, if a batter reaches exactly 100 after facing 27 balls, that is described as a 27-ball century. The batter’s final innings can contain more deliveries, because the century is recorded at the point when the player reaches 100. This is why Sahil Chauhan’s 144 not out from 41 balls is officially a 27-ball century. He reached the three-figure mark much earlier than the end of his innings.

Fastest T20 Century Record at a Glance

Record	Player	Balls	Team	Opponent	Year
Fastest senior men’s T20 century	Sahil Chauhan	27	Estonia	Cyprus	2024
Fastest T20I century	Sahil Chauhan	27	Estonia	Cyprus	2024
Fastest IPL century	Chris Gayle	30	RCB	Pune Warriors India	2013
Fastest Indian T20I century	Abhishek Sharma	30	India	Afghanistan	2026
Fastest T20 World Cup century	Finn Allen	33	New Zealand	South Africa	2026

Fastest T20 Century in Cricket History

Sahil Chauhan’s 27-ball century currently sits at the top of the senior men’s T20 record list. Playing for Estonia against Cyprus on 17 June 2024, Chauhan smashed 144 not out from 41 balls. He reached his century from only 27 deliveries, with his innings containing 18 sixes and six fours. His strike rate was an extraordinary 351.21. Estonia were chasing 192 and reached 194/4 in only 13 overs. Chauhan’s innings was therefore not just a personal record but also a match-winning performance in a successful chase.

Fastest T20 Centuries

Rank	Player	Team	Runs	Balls to 100	Opponent	Tournament	Year
1	Sahil Chauhan	Estonia	144*	27	Cyprus	T20I	2024
2	Urvil Patel	Gujarat	113*	28	Tripura	SMAT	2024
2	Abhishek Sharma	Punjab	106*	28	Meghalaya	SMAT	2024
4	Muhammad Fahad	Turkey	120	29	Bulgaria	T20I	2025
5	Chris Gayle	RCB	175*	30	Pune Warriors India	IPL	2013
6	Urvil Patel	Gujarat	119*	31	Services	SMAT	2025
6	Nicholas Pooran	Washington Freedom	—	31	—	MLC	2026
8	Rishabh Pant	Delhi	128*	32	Himachal Pradesh	SMAT	2018
8	Vaibhav Suryavanshi	India A	—	32	UAE	T20	2025
10	Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton	Namibia	101	33	Nepal	T20I	2024

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Top 10 Fastest T20 Centuries

1. Sahil Chauhan – 27 Balls

Sahil Chauhan currently owns the fastest T20 century record. Representing Estonia against Cyprus, he reached his hundred in only 27 balls. He eventually finished with 144 not out from 41 balls, including 18 sixes. His innings came during Estonia’s successful chase of 192 and produced a strike rate of more than 350. His 27-ball century also replaced Chris Gayle’s 30-ball effort as the fastest century in senior men’s T20 cricket.

2. Urvil Patel – 28 Balls

India’s Urvil Patel produced one of the fastest domestic T20 hundreds in November 2024. Playing for Gujarat against Tripura in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Patel reached his century in 28 balls and finished unbeaten on 113 from 35 deliveries. His innings included 12 sixes and seven fours. At the time, Patel’s performance became the fastest T20 century by an Indian batter.

3. Abhishek Sharma – 28 Balls

Abhishek Sharma matched Urvil Patel’s 28-ball record during Punjab’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Meghalaya in December 2024. He finished with 106 not out from 29 balls, smashing 11 sixes and eight fours. Punjab chased the target in only 9.3 overs.

4. Muhammad Fahad – 29 Balls

Turkey’s Muhammad Fahad joined the elite group with a 29-ball T20I century against Bulgaria in 2025. His century placed him behind Sahil Chauhan in the men’s T20I record list at the time, and his performance demonstrated how quickly international T20 batting records have evolved.

5. Chris Gayle – 30 Balls

Before Sahil Chauhan broke the record, Chris Gayle’s 30-ball century was the benchmark for the fastest century in professional T20 cricket.Gayle achieved the feat for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors India on 23 April 2013. He eventually scored an unbeaten 175 from 66 balls, still one of the most famous innings in T20 cricket.His century contained 11 sixes and eight fours, and the innings became one of the defining performances of the IPL’s early years.

Fastest T20 Century by Balls

When people search for the fastest T20 century by balls, they are looking for the lowest number of deliveries required to reach 100. The current benchmark is Sahil Chauhan – 100 off 27 balls. The record is particularly notable because it was achieved in a T20 international rather than a domestic or franchise competition. Guinness World Records lists Chauhan’s 27-ball effort as the fastest men’s T20I hundred and notes that it also became the fastest ton in any senior men’s T20 match.

Fastest T20 Century by Balls

Player	Balls	Runs	Team	Opponent	Competition
Sahil Chauhan	27	144*	Estonia	Cyprus	T20I
Urvil Patel	28	113*	Gujarat	Tripura	SMAT
Abhishek Sharma	28	106*	Punjab	Meghalaya	SMAT
Muhammad Fahad	29	120	Turkey	Bulgaria	T20I
Chris Gayle	30	175*	RCB	Pune Warriors India	IPL
Rishabh Pant	32	128*	Delhi	Himachal Pradesh	SMAT
Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton	33	101	Namibia	Nepal	T20I
Sikandar Raza	33	133*	Zimbabwe	Gambia	T20I

Fastest T20I Century

The fastest T20I century in men’s cricket is Sahil Chauhan’s 27-ball hundred for Estonia against Cyprus. Before Chauhan’s innings, Namibia’s Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton had set the record with a 33-ball century against Nepal in February 2024. Chauhan then reduced the record by six balls only a few months later.

Fastest T20I Centuries

Rank	Player	Country	Balls	Opponent	Venue	Year
1	Sahil Chauhan	Estonia	27	Cyprus	Episkopi	2024
2	Muhammad Fahad	Turkey	29	Bulgaria	Sofia	2025
3	Abhishek Sharma	India	30	Afghanistan	New Delhi	2026
4	Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton	Namibia	33	Nepal	Kirtipur	2024
4	Sikandar Raza	Zimbabwe	33	Gambia	Nairobi	2024
4	Finn Allen	New Zealand	33	South Africa	Kolkata	2026
7	Kushal Malla	Nepal	34	Mongolia	Hangzhou	2023
8	David Miller	South Africa	35	Bangladesh	Potchefstroom	2017
8	Rohit Sharma	India	35	Sri Lanka	Indore	2017

Abhishek Sharma’s 30-Ball T20I Century

Abhishek Sharma produced one of the biggest recent moments in T20 cricket during India’s third T20I against Afghanistan on 17 September 2026. Playing at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Abhishek reached his century in only 30 balls and finished with 108 from 34 deliveries. His innings included nine fours and 11 sixes.

The performance made him the fastest Indian to score a T20I century, breaking Rohit Sharma’s previous Indian record of 35 balls. It was also the fastest T20I century in a match involving two Full Member teams, according to the BCCI. India eventually scored 221/7 and defeated Afghanistan by 127 runs, completing a 3-0 series sweep.

Fastest IPL Century

The fastest IPL century remains Chris Gayle’s 30-ball hundred for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors India in 2013. Gayle’s innings remains one of the most extraordinary performances in IPL history. He reached three figures in 30 deliveries and continued attacking after reaching his century, eventually finishing unbeaten on 175 from 66 balls.

Fastest IPL Centuries

Rank	Player	Team	Balls	Runs	Opponent	Season
1	Chris Gayle	RCB	30	175*	Pune Warriors India	2013
2	Yusuf Pathan	Rajasthan Royals	37	100	Mumbai Indians	2010
3	David Miller	Kings XI Punjab	38	101*	RCB	2013
4	Travis Head	Sunrisers Hyderabad	39	102*	RCB	2024
5	Will Jacks	RCB	41	100*	Gujarat Titans	2024
6	Adam Gilchrist	Deccan Chargers	42	109*	Mumbai Indians	2008
7	AB de Villiers	RCB	43	129*	Gujarat Lions	2016
7	David Warner	Sunrisers Hyderabad	43	126	Kolkata Knight Riders	2017
9	Sanath Jayasuriya	Mumbai Indians	45	114*	Chennai Super Kings	2008
9	Mayank Agarwal	Kings XI Punjab	45	106	Rajasthan Royals	2020

Fastest T20 Century by an Indian Player

India has produced several exceptionally quick T20 hundreds, but the record depends on whether domestic T20s or T20Is are being considered. Urvil Patel and Abhishek Sharma share the 28-ball mark in domestic T20 cricket, while Abhishek Sharma holds the Indian T20I record with his 30-ball century against Afghanistan in 2026. Before Urvil’s 28-ball effort, Rishabh Pant held the Indian domestic T20 record with a 32-ball century against Himachal Pradesh in the 2018 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Indian Fastest T20 Century Records

Player	Balls	Runs	Competition	Opponent
Urvil Patel	28	113*	SMAT	Tripura
Abhishek Sharma	28	106*	SMAT	Meghalaya
Abhishek Sharma	30	108	T20I	Afghanistan
Rishabh Pant	32	128*	SMAT	Himachal Pradesh

Fastest T20 Century by International Players

The international record list has become increasingly competitive as T20 cricket has expanded globally. Sahil Chauhan’s 27-ball century is followed by Muhammad Fahad’s 29-ball effort and then Abhishek Sharma’s 30-ball T20I century. Several 33-ball centuries have also entered the record books, including those by Loftie-Eaton, Sikandar Raza and Finn Allen. This shows that the fastest T20 hundreds are no longer limited to established cricketing nations. Estonia and Turkey, for example, have produced players who have reached the three-figure mark faster than many traditional T20 stars.

Fastest 100 in T20 Cricket vs T20I vs IPL

Category	Player	Balls	Opponent	Year
Overall senior men’s T20	Sahil Chauhan	27	Cyprus	2024
T20I	Sahil Chauhan	27	Cyprus	2024
IPL	Chris Gayle	30	Pune Warriors India	2013
Indian domestic T20	Urvil Patel / Abhishek Sharma	28	Tripura / Meghalaya	2024
T20 World Cup	Finn Allen	33	South Africa	2026

Fastest T20 Century: Player-Wise Records

Player	Fastest Century	Balls	Team	Competition
Sahil Chauhan	100	27	Estonia	T20I
Urvil Patel	100	28	Gujarat	SMAT
Abhishek Sharma	100	28	Punjab	SMAT
Muhammad Fahad	100	29	Turkey	T20I
Chris Gayle	100	30	RCB	IPL
Rishabh Pant	100	32	Delhi	SMAT
Finn Allen	100	33	New Zealand	T20 World Cup
Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton	100	33	Namibia	T20I
Sikandar Raza	100	33	Zimbabwe	T20I
Kushal Malla	100	34	Nepal	T20I

How Many Balls Does It Take to Score a T20 Century?

There is no fixed number of balls required to score a century in T20 cricket. A batter can theoretically score 100 runs in a much smaller number of deliveries through boundaries. For example, scoring 100 runs entirely through sixes would require 17 sixes, although that would produce 102 runs rather than exactly 100. In an actual innings, singles, fours, sixes, doubles and extras can all affect how quickly a batter reaches 100. 

The fastest T20 centuries show how important boundary hitting is. Sahil Chauhan’s 144 included 18 sixes and six fours, while Abhishek Sharma’s 108 against Afghanistan contained 11 sixes and nine fours.

Why Strike Rate Matters

• A batter scoring 100 runs from 27 balls has a strike rate of approximately 370.37 at the exact century mark.
• However, the official innings strike rate can be different because the player usually continues batting after reaching 100.
• For example, Chauhan reached 100 in 27 balls but finished with 144 from 41 balls at a strike rate of 351.21.

Fastest T20 Century Records and Interesting Facts

Sahil Chauhan 27-Ball Record

Sahil Chauhan’s 27-ball hundred is currently the benchmark for the fastest senior men’s T20 century.

Chris Gayle 30-Ball IPL Record

Gayle’s 30-ball century came as part of his extraordinary 175 not out against Pune Warriors India in 2013.

Abhishek Sharma 2026 Record

Abhishek 30-ball century is the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian batter and the third-fastest overall men’s T20I century.

Finn Allen’s World Cup Record

Finn Allen scored 100 not out from 33 balls against South Africa in the 2026 semi-final, making it the fastest century in men’s T20 World Cup history.

Multiple 33-Ball T20I Centuries

Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Sikandar Raza and Finn Allen have all reached T20I hundreds in 33 balls, placing them among the quickest international hundreds.

The Record Has Changed Quickly

Chris Gayle 30-ball record stood for more than a decade before Sahil Chauhan broke it with his 27-ball century in 2024.

Conclusion

The fastest T20 century in senior men’s cricket is Sahil Chauhan’s 27-ball hundred for Estonia against Cyprus in 2024. His record also stands as the fastest men’s T20I century. Chris Gayle’s famous 30-ball century remains the fastest century in IPL history, while Abhishek Sharma’s 30-ball hundred against Afghanistan in 2026 is the fastest T20I century by an Indian batter.

In the T20 World Cup, New Zealand’s Finn Allen currently holds the record after scoring a century in 33 balls against South Africa in the 2026 semi-final. These records highlight how dramatically T20 batting has evolved. What once seemed almost impossible—a century in fewer than 35 balls—is now a milestone that elite power-hitters continue to challenge. As more domestic leagues and international T20 competitions expand, the fastest T20 century record could eventually fall again.

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