Fastest Centuries in International Cricket: Records by Format

AB de Villiers: 31-Ball ODI Century

AB de Villiers holds the record for the fastest century in ODI cricket history: 100 runs off 31 balls, scored for South Africa against West Indies at the Wanderers, Johannesburg on 18 January 2015. De Villiers came in to bat at number 3, faced his first delivery 9 overs in, and reached his century before completing two overs of his own at the crease. He hit 16 sixes in his innings of 149 off 44 balls — the most sixes in a single ODI innings at the time. The innings combined extraordinary power hitting with tactical awareness — he assessed which bowlers to attack, targeted specific lengths, and never appeared to be swinging recklessly even as the runs came at a rate that left commentators struggling to keep pace. South Africa scored 439/2, then a world record team total.

Fastest Test Century: Jack Gregory and Tim Southee

The record for the fastest Test century in terms of balls faced is complicated by historical record-keeping. Jack Gregory of Australia scored what is considered by many sources as the fastest Test century in terms of minutes in 1921 (70 minutes) against South Africa. In the modern era, Misbah-ul-Haq scored a Test century off 56 balls against Australia in 2014, equalling the record held by Vivian Richards since 1986. Richards' 56-ball century in 1986 vs England at St John's, Antigua stood as the recognised standard for three decades. Brendon McCullum holds the modern recognised record with a 54-ball Test century against Pakistan in 2016.

Viv Richards: The Standard Bearer

Before AB de Villiers redefined what was possible in ODIs, Viv Richards set the standard. His 56-ball Test century in 1986 and his 56-ball ODI century against England in 1986 (both on the same tour) demonstrated a level of aggressive hitting that was unmatched for decades. Richards' technique — playing through the line rather than slogging, maintaining his shape even in the extreme positions — meant his records stood not because power hitting was rare (other players were powerful) but because Richards combined power with precision that nobody matched until de Villiers came along.

T20I Context: Centuries Are Rare

T20I centuries are far rarer than in longer formats — the format's 120-ball maximum per innings means a century requires scoring from approximately 83% of balls faced (scoring on 100 of 120 deliveries would be needed), which explains why fewer than 15 T20I centuries had been scored in the format's first 15 years. Rohit Sharma, Chris Gayle, and Colin Munro have scored multiple T20I centuries; Gayle's 175* off 66 balls in the 2013 IPL (not a T20I but comparable) remains the benchmark for what extreme T20 batting can produce. The fastest T20I century records change frequently as the format evolves.