When a batsman scores the fastest century in ODI, what happens? He pushes his team one step closer to their goal of winning a match. True, a player’s century does not always guarantee a victory, but his efforts make his opponents endeavor. More importantly, a good game with a memorable century is remembered for many years by the audience. The beauty of scoring a century is enhanced when the player achieves it in a short period of time, in just a few balls. ODI cricket was the only format in which the World Cup was played before the introduction of the T20 World Cup. Since T20 cricket has grown in popularity and taken center stage, ODIs have lost some of their charms. However, due to its ability to produce nail-biting games, it remains an important part of cricket.
For 17 years, Shahid Afridi held the record for the fastest century in ODI, scoring 100 off 37 balls against Sri Lanka. Until New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson broke it by scoring 100 runs from 36 balls. But then came Mr. 360 of cricket, AB de Villiers, who smashed the fastest century in just 31 balls. Here is a list of the fastest century in ODI.
The 10 Quickest hundreds scored in ODIs
AB de Villiers currently holds the record for the fastest century in ODI. In 2015, he achieved the feat against the West Indies. AB de Villiers scored his fastest century in 31 balls, breaking Corey Anderson’s 36-ball record. Here’s a list of the 10 Quickest hundreds scored in ODIs.
| Rankings | Player | Balls to Fastest Century In ODI | Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AB de Villiers | 31 | West Indies |
| 2 | Corey Anderson | 36 | West Indies |
| 3 | Shahid Afridi | 37 | Sri Lanka |
| 4 | Mark Boucher | 44 | Zimbabwe |
| 5 | Brian Lara | 45 | Bangladesh |
| 6 | Shahid Afridi | 45 | India |
| 7 | JD Ryder | 46 | West Indies |
| 8 | JC Buttler | 46 | Pakistan |
| 9 | JC Buttler | 47 | Netherlands |
| 10 | ST Jayasuriya | 48 | Pakistan |
1. AB de Villiers fastest 100 In ODI – 31 Ball
South African wicketkeeper-batsman AB de Villiers, one of the most dangerous batsmen and one of the best finishers in cricket, made the fastest century in ODI of all time in just 31 balls. Captain AB de Villiers batted brilliantly against the West Indies at the Wanderers Stadium, scoring 149 runs in 44 balls at a strike rate of 338.63. On the way to the record, Mr. 360 built a 192-run partnership with Hashim Amla, hitting 9 (4s) and a massive 16 (6s). AB de Villiers’ record-breaking innings helped the South Africans to put 439/2 on the board, this is the fourth-highest ODI total of all time. The West Indians struggled to beat the massive total, eventually losing by 148 runs.
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2. Corey Anderson vs West Indies – 36 Ball
Corey Anderson, New Zealand’s left-handed batting all-rounder, is second on the list of fastest century in ODI. In 2014, he scored his century in just 36 balls against the West Indies. He set the record in the third ODI of the West Indies tour of New Zealand on January 1, 2014, in Queenstown, the exact match in which Jesse Ryder also scored a century in 46 balls. That day, New Zealand won the match using the Duckworth-Lewis method, and Corey Anderson was named Man of the Match for his batting performance, which included a strike rate of 278.72. Anderson is one of only three batsmen in history to have scored a century in under 40 balls.
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3. Shahid Afridi vs Sri Lanka – 37 Ball
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi holds the record for the third fastest century in ODI, which also happened to be the fastest in nearly 17 years, against Sri Lanka in 1996. It was his first time batting for his country in international cricket. He scored his fastest century in 37 balls against Sri Lanka on October 4, 1996. That fastest ton in ODI was recorded by Afridi during the sixth match of the 1996 KCA Centenary Tournament in Nairobi. That day, he pounded out a 102-run inning with only 40 balls, 11 over-boundaries, and 6 fours. Afridi’s strike rate of 255 contributed to his country’s total of 371. Sri Lanka lost all of their wickets for 289 runs while chasing the target, losing the match against Pakistan by 82 runs. Afridi was named Man of the Match for his outstanding batting performance.
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4. Mark Boucher vs Zimbabwe – 44 Ball
Mark Boucher, a retired South African wicketkeeper-batsman, is ranked fourth on our list of the players with the fastest century in ODI. During Zimbabwe’s four-match series against South Africa in 2006, he made his fastest century in just 44 balls. In Potchefstroom on September 20, 2006, he scored 147 runs off 59 deliveries, including 10 sixes and eight fours. South Africa scored 418 runs against Zimbabwe on that day, while Zimbabwe was held to 247. South Africa won the match by 171 runs, and Mark Boucher was named Man of the Match for his spectacular innings with a strike rate of 216.17.
5. Brian Lara vs Bangladesh – 45 Ball
Brian Lara, the greatest left-handed batsman of all time and a West Indian cricket legend, ranks fifth among players with the fastest century in ODI. He accomplished this feat in just 45 deliveries on October 9, 1999, during the second ODI of the West Indies squad’s tour of Bangladesh in Dhaka. As the opening batsman, Lara scored 117 runs in 62 deliveries, with 4 sixes and 18 fours. With a strike rate of 188.70, he helped his team set a target of 315 runs for Bangladesh. West Indies won that one-day international by 109 runs, whitewashing the opponent by 205 runs. Brian Lara was named Man of the Match for his spectacular batting.
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Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our article on the Fastest Century in ODI. We hope you found this list useful. This article’s information came from Wikipedia and ESPNcricinfo. Also, please share your valuable thoughts on this article in the comments section below.
