The Indian Premier League has given birth to some of the most amazing batting in cricket history. There is no moment better than a century scored in a blink of an eye – bowlers of the field swept and the players helpless; and a crowd that witnessed something they will never forget. This is one of the most famous individual records in the history of the game and the list of players who have been closest to the record tells the tale of the development of power hitting over the last 18 seasons of the IPL.
Everything you need to know about the Fastest Century in IPL History, from Chris Gayle’s jaw-dropping 30-ball century to a 14-year-old schoolboy rewriting history in 2026. the fastest centuries in cricket history across all professional platforms come from the T20 cricket
What does ‘fast’ mean in T20 cricket?
In T20 cricket a century is simply the number of balls faced. The less balls the quicker the hundred. A match is not played for 100 balls per innings but one who scores half of the innings or more in less than 40 balls, is using just a third of the balls and adding to the innings as per the requirement of the match.
A quick century isn’t just the name of the game, it alters the entire match. Opponents have to scrap their plans, captains have to stifle panic over the field setup and the momentum can turn so overwhelming that even 200 can feel like they are vulnerable. It’s why these innings are so strong—because they don’t just affect a victory; they make the win look like it could have been embarrassing if it hadn’t happened!
The Record that has stood for 12 years: Chris Gayle’s 30-Ball Century
Chris Gayle was seen walking to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on April 23, 2013 to take the field for Royal Challengers Bangalore against the Pune Warriors India. The next few overs were batting on steroids and the kind of hitting that was done had not been seen before in T20 cricket.
Gayle hit her 100 in at least 30 balls, which is the fastest in the IPL history. He wasn’t done yet. He ended up with 175 not out off 66 balls, the highest individual score in all of T20 cricket. His totals of 17 sixes and 13 fours in his 120 balls. He smashed 175 runs in total, with a remarkable share of them coming through boundaries.
The hundredth over started in the ninth over. It was a quiet start in the first over, but then Gayle went all guns blazing. He got 21 runs off Ishwar Pandey in one over and 28 runs off Mitchell Marsh in the next. Gayle was the show, as Aaron Finch did 29 off his own over. It’s been 12 years since that evening in Bengaluru. No one’s broken that record. It is still the fastest IPL century of all time.
How the Record was Built: A Season-by-Season History
IPL centuries are the history of the evolution of T20 batting, which has become more and more aggressive by the year. The first ever IPL century came in 2008 when Brendon McCullum bowled a 53-ball knock that was sensational at the time. Mike Hussey went for a 50-ball century against Kings XI Punjab, before Andrew Symonds knocked it down to 47 balls against Rajasthan Royals.
Adam Gilchrist pushed the record even further in 2008 by smashing a 42-ball century against Mumbai Indians. Two years later, Yusuf Pathan from Rajasthan Royals hit an 37-ball century at the Wankhede Stadium against the same Mumbai Indians team, with eight sixes and nine fours. This record remained for three years with Pathan. Next came Gayle, and nothing has been that close since.
The 2013 season also saw David Miller hit a century off 38 balls against the Deccan Chargers for Kings XI Punjab. In 2016, AB de Villiers became part of a club of players who had scored centuries from under 40 balls to prove that it was not only about power but also about precision, placement and split-second reading the field.
India’s greatest batting moment in IPL
Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s 35-Ball Hundred
The 14-year-old boy from Bihar stepped up to bat first for Rajasthan Royals at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday, April 28, 2026. His name was Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Rajasthan had to score 210 runs to defeat the Gujarat Titans. He was also the youngest debutant in the history of IPL nine days ago, at the age of 14 years and 23 days. Only in his third game, he was to make history again.
Suryavanshi came up with his fifty on 17 balls within the IPL 25.Suryavanshi has come up with his fifty in 17 balls which is the fastest fifty of IPL 25. He then went on to convert it to a century in 35 balls, the second fastest of all times after Gayle and the fastest Indian to score a century. Then he went on to get Rashid Khan, one of the most respected spin bowlers in the world, off for a six over midwicket to complete his century. He scored 101 runs, 94 of which were scored as boundaries (seven fours and 11 sixes).
Suryavanshi ended with a strike rate of 265.79 with 101 off 38 balls. Yashasvi Jaiswal dismissed off the bowling of Hefeng Wang to build the highest first wicket stand for Rajasthan Royals in the history of the IPL, 166, alongside the opener. The Rajasthan captains’ eight wickets in 15.5 overs made a 210-run target look easy.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi became one of the youngest male centurions in T20 cricket at just 14 years and 32 days of age, breaking a record previously held by an 18-year-old player. After joining the IPL auction at 13 for Rs 1.1 crore, he scored 252 runs in seven matches during his debut IPL season at an impressive strike rate of 206.56.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi became one of the youngest male centurions in T20 cricket at just 14 years and 32 days of age, breaking a record previously held by an 18-year-old player. After joining the IPL auction at 13 for Rs 1.1 crore, he scored 252 runs in seven matches during his debut IPL season at an impressive strike rate of 206.56.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi became one of the youngest male centurions in T20 cricket at just 14 years and 32 days of age, breaking a record previously held by an 18-year-old player. After joining the IPL auction at 13 for Rs 1.1 crore, he scored 252 runs in seven matches during his debut IPL season at an impressive strike rate of 206.56.
IPL 2025: A vintage year for speedy centuries
The 2025 season saw one of the most fruitful batch of fast hundreds in the history of the IPL. Heinrich Klaasen matched Yusuf Pathan’s 37-ball century record by smashing a stunning hundred for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders.
It was a mind-boggling performance by Abhishek Sharma, who also scored a 40-ball century with Travis Head, for the SRH side against Punjab Kings in a 246-run pursuit. Punjab Kings’ Ravi Arya also got a 39-ball century and he is the joint-fourth quickest Indian to reach the milestone.
The trend of the 2025 was obvious: The time of the 35 to 40 ball century had come.A new generation of batters now sees a 200-run target as a challenge rather than an obstacle, thanks to better platforms, improved bats, flatter pitches, and years of growing up watching T20 cricket.
Complete Record List:
Fastest Centuries in IPL History
| Rank | Player (Team) | Balls Taken | Final Score | Opposition | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Gayle (RCB) | 30 | 175* | Pune Warriors India | 2013 |
| 2 | Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR) | 35 | 101 | Gujarat Titans | 2025 |
| 3 | Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR) | 36 | 103 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 2026 |
| 4 | Heinrich Klaasen (SRH) | 37 | 100+ | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2025 |
| 5 | Yusuf Pathan (RR) | 37 | 100+ | Mumbai Indians | 2010 |
| 6 | David Miller (KXIP) | 38 | 100+ | Deccan Chargers | 2013 |
| 7 | Abhishek Sharma (SRH) | 40 | 100+ | Punjab Kings | 2025 |
| 8 | Adam Gilchrist (KXIP) | 42 | 100+ | Mumbai Indians | 2008 |
| 9 | AB de Villiers (RCB) | 43 | 100+ | Gujarat Lions | 2016 |
| 10 | Ryan Rickelton (MI) | 44 | 123 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 2026 |
| 11 | Tilak Varma (MI) | 45 | 101* | Gujarat Titans | 2026 |
Why the ‘fastest century’ is not about the record.The ‘fastest century’ is no record thing.
Every name on this list has made a difference in the game and in many cases, a season. Gayle’s 175 led RCB to an unbeatable score. With four overs to spare, Suryavanshi’s 101 helped them complete a tough 210-run chase in a walk. It’s not only about centuries, it’s about shot choices, it’s about moments that change an opponent’s perspective toward an entire tournament.
Furthermore, these innings have an impact on the next generation. That’s the image that every young batsman in India has in his mind when he clears mid wicket off Rashid Khan at 14. The fastest century in the history of IPL is not just a record in a book, but a testament that the impossible is possible in just one session of cricket.
Chris Gayle’s 30-ball century from 2013 is the hallmark – it’s still unbeaten, unchallenged, and stands tall as the fastest century in IPL history. The best anyone has done is Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s 35-ball century in 2025. Between these names stands a list of batting legends who defined aggression in T20 cricket. One day, another player will break this record, and when it happens, it will likely unfold on an Indian ground before a packed stadium and billions of breathless fans watching around the world.
Also Read: Fastest 50 in IPL: History, Batting Records| Complete Guide (2008 – 2026)
Check FAQs about IPL century
Chris Gayle has the fastest century IPL history. He reached his 100 for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors India at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on April 23, 2013. He went on to score 175 not out, still the highest individual score in all T20 cricket.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi broke the record of the fastest IPL century by an Indian batsman, with a 35-bow score. He did this when Rajasthan Royals played against Gujarat Titans on 28th April 2025 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. He was only 12 years and 32 days old when he became a 100-run scorer in men’s T20 cricketing history.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi made his 100 in just 35 balls. He played 38 balls and hit 11 sixes and 7 fours to get 101 off his final 38 balls. He scored his fifty within a span of only 17 deliveries and maintained a strike rate of 265.79 in the innings, to help the Rajasthan Royals chase 210 runs in 15.5 overs.
No. Chris Gayle remains unbeaten for an IPL century with his 30 ball record as of 2026. It is 12 years plus older since it was set in IPL 2013. Gayle’s record stands and Vaibhav Suryavanshi was the next closest in 2025 with a 35-ball century.
Chris Gayle scored the fastest century in IPL history in just 30 balls in 2013.
