Fastest T20 Hundreds in International Cricket: Phil Salt Smashes England Record

The race to the fastest T20 international hundred is one of cricket’s most thrilling record chases. As batting has grown more fearless, the benchmark has tumbled from 35 balls to an astonishing 27. At the centre of the recent headlines is England’s Phil Salt, whose blistering hitting has rewritten his country’s record books twice over.

This article breaks down the fastest T20I hundreds of all time, how Phil Salt smashed the England record, and what the numbers tell us about the evolution of the shortest format.

The Fastest T20I Hundreds of All Time

The all-time list is a mix of established stars and stunning one-day wonders from the associate world, where fearless hitting has produced some of the format’s most astonishing innings.

Sahil Chauhan’s 27-ball hundred for Estonia against Cyprus in June 2024 stands as the fastest T20I century ever recorded, a scarcely believable feat of sustained hitting. Namibia’s Jan-Nicol Loftie-Eaton reached his hundred in 33 balls against Nepal in February 2024, while Nepal’s own Kushal Malla needed just 34 balls against Mongolia at the Asian Games in 2023.

Among the full member nations, the 35-ball record stood for years. David Miller smashed the then-fastest T20I hundred off 35 balls against Bangladesh at Potchefstroom in October 2017, and Rohit Sharma equalled it two months later with a breathtaking 35-ball hundred against Sri Lanka at Indore.

Phil Salt Smashes the England Record

Phil Salt first announced himself as England’s premier T20 destroyer on the 2023 tour of the West Indies. In the third T20I at Grenada, he smashed 109 not out off 56 balls to chase down 223. Two days later at Trinidad, he went even bigger: 119 off 57 balls, reaching his hundred in just 48 balls as England piled up 267 for 3, their highest T20I total at the time. It was the highest individual score by an England man in T20Is, and Salt became the first England men’s batter to score hundreds in consecutive T20I innings.

But Salt was not finished. In 2025, against South Africa at Old Trafford in Manchester, he produced the fastest T20I hundred ever by an England batter, reaching three figures in only 39 balls on his way to a stunning 141 off 60 balls. England posted 304 for 2, becoming the first full member nation to cross 300 in a T20I. The innings broke Liam Livingstone’s 42-ball record against Pakistan from 2021 and confirmed Salt as one of the most destructive openers in world cricket.

How the Record Has Evolved

The journey of the fastest T20I hundred tells the story of the format itself. In the early years, a 50-ball hundred was considered rapid. Chris Gayle’s 117 off 57 balls at the 2007 World T20 felt revolutionary. By the mid-2010s, the 40-ball barrier was under threat, and Brendon McCullum and others pushed standards higher.

The 35-ball mark set by Miller and Rohit in 2017 looked untouchable for a full member nation for nearly eight years. What changed was the depth of batting line-ups and the fearlessness of modern openers. Teams now attack from ball one, and the associate nations, playing with freedom and little pressure, have repeatedly produced the most extreme numbers.

What Makes a Sub-40-Ball Hundred Possible

A hundred in under 40 balls requires a near-perfect storm. The batter must face almost no dot balls, clear the ropes roughly once every two overs, and find the gaps whenever the field spreads. Powerplay field restrictions help, but the real key is intent: the best T20 hitters decide before the first ball that every delivery is an attacking opportunity.

Conditions matter too. Small boundaries, flat pitches and fast outfields all inflate scoring, which is why so many of the fastest hundreds have come at venues like Potchefstroom, Indore and Manchester. Equally important is the bowling: associate-nation attacks, still developing their T20 skills, have conceded the most extreme numbers on this list. That takes nothing away from the batters, who still had to execute under international pressure, but it explains why the very fastest hundreds sit outside the full member game.

The Next Frontier: A 25-Ball Hundred?

With Chauhan’s 27-ball record now the benchmark, the natural question is how much faster anyone can go. A 25-ball hundred would require scoring at 24 runs per over across the fastest phase, essentially a boundary every ball with no dots. It sounds impossible, but so did a 27-ball hundred a decade ago. As T20 leagues multiply and batting techniques keep evolving, with ramps, reverse sweeps and ever-heavier bats becoming standard, the record will keep falling. The only question is who gets there first, and whether it happens in a full member match or another associate-nation run-fest.

Fastest T20 Hundreds in International Cricket: Strike Rate Comparison

In modern T20 cricket, the speed of a hundred matters because it defines the ceiling of what is possible. A 27-ball hundred means scoring at more than 22 runs per over during the fastest phase of the innings. It requires not just power but perfect ball-striking and an almost complete absence of dot balls.

For England, Salt’s record is part of a broader white-ball identity built on aggression. From Jason Roy and Jos Buttler to Livingstone and Salt, England’s batters have consistently pushed the boundaries of T20 scoring. Salt’s 39-ball hundred is the latest, and perhaps not the last, chapter in that story.

Who holds the record for the fastest T20I hundred?

Sahil Chauhan of Estonia holds the record with a 27-ball hundred against Cyprus in June 2024, the fastest century in T20 international history.

What is the fastest T20I hundred by an England player?

Phil Salt’s 39-ball hundred against South Africa at Manchester in 2025 is the fastest T20I century by an England batter. His unbeaten 141 was also England’s highest individual T20I score.

How fast was Phil Salt’s hundred against West Indies in 2023?

Salt reached his hundred in 48 balls on his way to 119 off 57 against West Indies at Trinidad in December 2023, then the joint-second fastest T20I hundred by an England man.

Who held the fastest T20I hundred record before 2024?

David Miller’s 35-ball hundred against Bangladesh in 2017 and Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball hundred against Sri Lanka later that year were the joint-fastest among full member nations for nearly seven years.

Has anyone scored a T20I hundred faster than 30 balls?

Yes. Sahil Chauhan’s 27-ball hundred for Estonia against Cyprus in 2024 is the only T20I century scored in fewer than 30 balls.