When T20 cricket started in the early 2000s, few would’ve thought a batter would score a century in the years to come. It sure was a massive task back then.
But we are two decades into the format now, and batters have taken it by storm. It won’t be inappropriate to say it’s a batter’s format. And they make it their own with their aggressive hitting.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been host to some powerful hitters who brought their madness along with them. Some of them went crazy on particular days to score record-breaking centuries.
Here, we’ll look at the top five fastest centuries scored by batters in the IPL.
5. Heinrich Klaasen (SRH): 37 Balls vs KKR | 2025
Delhi witnessed a run-fest in 2025. And Heinrich Klaasen had a piece of it.
Klaasen walked in at 92 for 1 in the seventh over. Surely a solid platform to have. And that helped him free up his arms right away.
His fifty was up in 17 balls. And in the next 20 balls, he hammered his IPL career’s second hundred.
Klaasen remained unbeaten on 105 off 39 balls. And Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) finished on 278 for 3, way too high for Kolkata to chase.
4. Yusuf Pathan (RR): 37 Balls vs MI | 2010
Eight batters had scored an IPL century before Yusuf Pathan. But none managed to smash one in fewer than 40 balls!
And to think Pathan did it with finesse when T20 cricket was still in its nascent form is crazy. What’s special is the knock came in a high-pressure run chase.
213 was the target. Rajasthan Royals (RR) were in a fix at 40 for 3. And then Pathan brought up his century off 37 balls. The fastest the league had seen at that point.
For a while, the chase didn’t look steep anymore. It looked possible. Until it didn’t. A run out ended Pathan’s innings. And so did RR’s hopes.
3. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR): 36 balls vs SRH | 2026
Sixteen years down the line, another RR batter delivered a spectacle. And this wasn’t his first such knock, by the way.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s intention was clear right from ball one. He was off with five consecutive sixes!
He then kept the momentum to bring up his fifty off 15 balls. By the 36th ball he faced, he smashed his second IPL hundred.
At 15, that shouldn’t look this normal. But Sooryavanshi made it look like a piece of cake!
His ton helped RR put up 228 for 6. A big score on most days. But just not enough that day.
2. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR): 35 Balls vs GT | 2025
A 14-year-old batter. Out to chase 210. Surely, pressure would consume him.
But Sooryavanshi surprised everyone. Even Gujarat Titans experienced bowlers!
Sooryavanshi didn’t play like someone discovering his game. He played like someone who already knew it.
And the result? Fifty off 17 balls. And eighteen deliveries more for his maiden IPL hundred! This also made him the youngest IPL centurion!
By the time Sooryavanshi’s innings ended, the chase didn’t feel like a chase anymore. It felt like something that had already been decided. RR thrashed the within 16 overs!
1. Chris Gayle (RCB): 30 Balls vs Pune Warriors | 2013
Well, you simply can’t forget Chris Gayle’s insanity, can you? The left-hand opener didn’t just build an innings that day. He imposed one.
Gayle brought up his hundred off 30 balls! The fastest-ever by any batter in IPL history.
If that wasn’t enough, his 30 boundaries – 13 fours and 17 sixes – rubbed salt on the opponent’s wounds. Pune bowlers tried everything. But none really mattered.
In the end, Gayle finished on 175 not out, still the highest score in the league!
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