Top 10 Fastest Centuries In T20 World Cup (2026 Rankings)

Finn Allen holds the record for the fastest century in T20 World Cup history, smashing 100 not out off just 33 balls against South Africa in the semi-final of the 2026 edition in Kolkata.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has showcased some breathtaking individual knocks since South Africa hosted the first edition in 2007. Centuries at this level require a rare mix of timing, power, and fearlessness under pressure.

Reaching three figures in T20 cricket is tough enough at any level, but doing it on the World Cup stage adds a different dimension. Only a select group of batters has managed the feat, and the speed at which they got there separates the good from the extraordinary.

In this article, we look at the top 10 fastest centuries ever scored in T20 World Cup history.

Top 10 Fastest Centuries in T20 World Cup History

Here is a closer look at the quickest centuries scored on the biggest T20 stage.

1. Finn Allen – 33 Balls (vs South Africa, 2026)

Finn Allen smashed the fastest century in T20 World Cup history, blasting an unbeaten 100 off just 33 balls against South Africa in the first semi-final on March 4, 2026, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Allen shattered Chris Gayle’s previous record of a 47-ball century, set back in 2016. He walked out to chase a target of 170 and never gave South Africa a moment of rest. His opening partner, Tim Seifert, struck 58 off 33 balls, and the duo put on a 117-run stand for the first wicket that left the Proteas shell-shocked.

Allen reached his fifty off 19 balls and then moved through the next fifty in just 14 more. He hammered 10 fours and eight sixes to rack up a strike rate of 303.03 and earned the Player of the Match award. New Zealand chased down the target in 12.5 overs with nine wickets in hand, sealing one of the most one-sided semi-final wins in T20 World Cup history and booking their spot in the 2026 final.

2. Chris Gayle – 47 Balls (vs England, 2016)

Chris Gayle blasted the second-fastest century in T20 World Cup history, reaching 100 not out off 47 balls against England in a Super 10 Group 1 clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 16, 2016.

Gayle broke his own record of a 50-ball century set nine years earlier in Johannesburg. Chasing 183, he tore into England’s bowling attack from the start and never took his foot off the gas. He smashed 11 sixes and five fours in his unbeaten knock, with 86 of his 100 runs coming from boundaries alone. West Indies coach Phil Simmons compared his batting to that of Sir Viv Richards after the match. Gayle passed Brendon McCullum as the leading six-hitter in T20I cricket during this innings.

He finished on 100 not out off 48 balls as West Indies chased down the total in 18.1 overs, winning by six wickets with 11 balls to spare. It was the second T20I century of his career, and he remains the only player to have scored two T20 World Cup hundreds.

3. Chris Gayle – 50 Balls (vs South Africa, 2007)

Chris Gayle scored the first-ever century in T20 World Cup history, reaching 100 off 50 balls against South Africa in the tournament’s opening match on September 11, 2007, at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.

Gayle made history in the very first match of the very first T20 World Cup. Opening the batting, he took on the South African attack with a fearless approach that set the standard for the entire tournament. He smashed seven fours and 10 sixes to finish with 117 off 57 balls. His century came off 50 balls and stood as the fastest in T20 World Cup history for nearly 9 years until he broke his own record in 2016. Gayle also became the first cricketer to score centuries in all three formats of international cricket with this knock.

West Indies posted 205/6 in their 20 overs and won the match comfortably. It was a performance that announced the arrival of T20 cricket on the world stage in the most explosive way possible.

4. Harry Brook – 50 Balls (vs Pakistan, 2026)

Harry Brook scored the joint-third fastest century in T20 World Cup history, reaching 100 off 50 balls against Pakistan in a Super Eight match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on February 24, 2026.

Brook became the first captain in T20 World Cup history to score a century. He moved up to number three in the batting order for the first time in his T20I career at the suggestion of head coach Brendon McCullum and made the promotion count in style. Chasing 165, England lost early wickets as Shaheen Shah Afridi ripped through the top order, leaving them wobbling at 58 for four. Brook held firm while wickets tumbled around him and played some stunning shots against both pace and spin. He hit 10 fours and four sixes before reaching his century by launching Afridi over cover for six. Afridi dismissed him the very next ball with a slower-ball yorker, and the two exchanged a handshake as a mark of respect. England scraped home by two wickets with five balls to spare to confirm their place in the semi-finals.

5. Brendon McCullum – 51 Balls (vs Bangladesh, 2012)

Brendon McCullum raced to the fifth-fastest century in T20 World Cup history, reaching 100 off 51 balls against Bangladesh in a Group D match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on September 21, 2012.

McCullum came to the crease after Martin Guptill fell early and put together a match-defining partnership with James Franklin.

He took his time through the first half of the innings before cutting loose in the final stretch. McCullum smashed 11 fours and seven sixes in a knock of 123 off 58 balls, which was the highest individual score in T20 World Cup history at the time and also the highest in all T20I cricket. His half-century came off 29 balls, and he accelerated from there, piling 63 runs off the last four overs. McCullum was caught off the final ball of the innings. New Zealand posted 191/3 and then bowled Bangladesh out for 132, with Tim Southee and Kyle Mills picking up three wickets each. McCullum became the first player to score two T20I centuries and picked up the Player of the Match award for his record-setting knock.

6. Rilee Rossouw – 52 Balls (vs Bangladesh, 2022)

Rilee Rossouw struck the sixth-fastest century in T20 World Cup history, reaching 100 off 52 balls against Bangladesh in a Super 12 Group 2 match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 27, 2022.

Rossouw arrived at the crease after captain Temba Bavuma fell in the first over and immediately went on the offensive. He put on a 163-run stand with Quinton de Kock for the second wicket, which was the highest partnership in T20 World Cup history at that time. De Kock played a solid hand of 63 off 38 balls, but Rossouw was the dominant force.

He hammered seven fours and eight sixes and celebrated by dropping to his knees after reaching three figures. It was his second T20I century in consecutive innings, having hit an unbeaten 100 against India just weeks earlier. Rossouw became the first South African to score a T20 World Cup century. South Africa posted 205/5, and Anrich Nortje’s 4/10 helped bowl Bangladesh out for just 101, sealing a 104-run victory.

7. Pathum Nissanka – 52 Balls (vs Australia, 2026)

Pathum Nissanka scored the joint-sixth fastest century in T20 World Cup history, reaching 100 not out off 52 balls against Australia in a Group B match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on February 16, 2026.

Nissanka hit the first century of the T20 World Cup 2026 in front of an electric home crowd in Kandy. Australia had stormed to 104 without loss in the first 8.2 overs through Mitchell Marsh (54 off 27) and Travis Head (56 off 29), but Sri Lanka’s spinners dragged them back to 181 all out. Nissanka then anchored the chase with authority and composure. He put on a rapid 97-run second-wicket stand with Kusal Mendis, who contributed 51 off 38 balls.

 After Mendis fell in the 13th over, Nissanka shifted gears and carried Sri Lanka home with ease. He struck 10 fours and five sixes and earned the Player of the Match award. Nissanka became only the second Sri Lankan, after Mahela Jayawardene, to score a T20 World Cup century. Sri Lanka reached the target in 18 overs with eight wickets in hand, knocking Australia to the brink of elimination.

8. Sahibzada Farhan – 57 Balls (vs Namibia, 2026)

Sahibzada Farhan scored the eighth-fastest century in T20 World Cup history, reaching 100 not out off 58 balls against Namibia in a Group A match at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on February 18, 2026.

Farhan became the second Pakistani, after Ahmed Shehzad, to score a T20 World Cup century, ending a 12-year wait for Pakistan fans. He opened the batting and took a measured approach early on, reaching his fifty off 37 balls. Once set, he opened up and punished Namibia’s bowling to all parts of the ground. Captain Salman Ali Agha played a brisk hand of 38 off 23, and Shadab Khan smashed an unbeaten 36 off 22 balls at the death as the pair added 81 for the fourth wicket.

Farhan finished on 100 not out off 58 balls, hitting 11 fours and four sixes. Pakistan posted 199/3, and Usman Tariq’s 4/16, along with Shadab’s 3/19, tore through Namibia’s batting as they were bundled out for 97. Pakistan won by 102 runs, confirming their spot in the Super Eights. Farhan later became the first batter to score two centuries in a single T20 World Cup edition when he hit another hundred against Sri Lanka in the Super Eights.

9. Ahmed Shehzad – 58 Balls (vs Bangladesh, 2014)

Ahmed Shehzad scored the ninth-fastest century in T20 World Cup history, reaching 100 off 58 balls against Bangladesh in a Group 2 match at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on March 30, 2014.

Shehzad scored Pakistan’s first-ever T20I century and picked the biggest stage to do it. He attacked Bangladesh’s seamers from the outset and scored 87 of his runs off quick bowlers alone. His half-century came off just 30 balls, and he kept finding the boundary with clean hitting through the middle and death overs. He struck 10 fours and five sixes in an unbeaten knock of 111 off 62 balls, which was also the highest T20I score by a Pakistani at the time.

 Shahid Afridi chipped in with a quickfire 22 off nine balls at the end as Pakistan posted 190/5. Bangladesh never got close in the chase and were restricted to 140/7, with Umar Gul picking up three wickets. Pakistan won by 50 runs, and Shehzad took home the Player of the Match award. His century made him the first Pakistani to reach three figures across all three formats of international cricket.

10. Yuvraj Samra – 58 Balls (vs New Zealand, 2026)

Yuvraj Samra scored the tenth-fastest century in T20 World Cup history, reaching 100 off 58 balls against New Zealand in a Group D match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on February 17, 2026.

Samra became the youngest centurion in T20 World Cup history at just 19 years and 141 days old, breaking Ahmed Shehzad’s previous record. Named after Indian legend Yuvraj Singh, the left-handed Canadian opener lived up to his namesake with a fearless display of stroke-making. He put on a 116-run opening stand with captain Dilpreet Bajwa and reached his fifty off 36 balls before shifting gears. Samra raced from 50 to 100 in just 22 deliveries, hammering 11 fours and six sixes in his knock of 110 off 65 balls.

He became the first batter from an Associate nation to score a century in the T20 World Cup. Canada posted 173/4, but Glenn Phillips (76* off 36) and Rachin Ravindra (59* off 39) chased down the target in 15.1 overs as New Zealand won by eight wickets. Despite the loss, Samra’s innings announced his arrival on the world stage and marked a landmark moment for Canadian cricket.

Conclusion: Allen’s Record Caps A Stunning 2026 Edition

Finn Allen’s 33-ball blitz against South Africa in the 2026 semi-final now sits at the top of this list, shattering Chris Gayle’s 47-ball record that had stood for a decade. The 2026 edition alone has produced four of the top nine fastest centuries in T20 World Cup history, showing how the standard of power-hitting keeps climbing with every passing tournament.

Sahibzada Farhan added a new dimension to the record books by becoming the first batter to score two hundreds in a single edition. Gayle remains the only player to feature twice in the top three, a reminder of his lasting impact on T20 cricket.

As the tournament grows in scale and competition, these records will face fresh challenges from the next wave of fearless stroke-makers.