Fastest Century in T20 World Cup History

Finn Allen holds the record for the fastest century in Men's T20 World Cup history. The New Zealand opener reached his hundred from only 33 balls against South Africa in the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. He broke Chris Gayle's previous record of a 47-ball century, which had stood since 2016.

Allen finished unbeaten on 100 from 33 balls, hitting 10 fours and eight sixes. His explosive innings helped New Zealand chase 170 in only 12.5 overs and reach the T20 World Cup final.

Chris Gayle now holds second and joint-third place on the list. He scored a 47-ball century against England in 2016 and a 50-ball hundred against South Africa in the first T20 World Cup in 2007. England's Harry Brook also reached a century from 50 balls during the 2026 tournament.

Fastest Centuries in T20 World Cup History

Finn Allen's 33-ball hundred completely changed a record list that Chris Gayle had controlled for almost two decades. Before 2026, no batter had reached a Men's T20 World Cup century in fewer than 47 deliveries.

1. Finn Allen – 33-Ball Century vs South Africa, 2026

Finn Allen scored the fastest century in T20 World Cup history when he reached 100 from only 33 balls against South Africa in the 2026 semi-final.

The match was played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. South Africa batted first and made 169/8, giving New Zealand a target of 170 to reach the final.

A semi-final chase normally brings huge pressure, but Allen played as if it were a normal powerplay.

He attacked from the opening overs and never allowed South Africa's bowlers to settle. Tim Seifert also scored quickly at the other end, and the pair gave New Zealand an explosive start.

New Zealand reached 84 in the powerplay and took complete control of the chase.

Allen Reached Fifty From 19 Balls

Allen's first milestone came quickly.

He reached his fifty from only 19 deliveries.

At that stage, he was already scoring at a rate that could decide the match before the middle overs.

Instead of slowing down after reaching fifty, Allen became even more aggressive.

His second fifty needed only 14 balls.

That took him from 50 to 100 in an extraordinary short period and gave him the fastest century the Men's T20 World Cup had ever seen.

Finn Allen's 100* From 33 Balls

Allen finished unbeaten on 100 from 33 deliveries.

His innings included:

• 10 fours
• 8 sixes
• 18 boundaries
• Strike rate above 300

Most of his runs came in boundaries, which explains how he reached three figures without needing even six full overs of batting.

New Zealand chased 170 for the loss of only one wicket and completed the target in 12.5 overs.

The nine-wicket victory sent them into the final.

Why Finn Allen's Century Was So Special

The speed of the innings alone would have made it memorable.

The match situation made it even bigger.

Allen did not score his record hundred in a low-pressure group match. He produced it in a T20 World Cup semi-final with a place in the final at stake.

South Africa had also been one of the strongest teams in the tournament.

New Zealand therefore needed a controlled chase against a quality bowling attack.

Allen instead turned it into one of the most one-sided knockout chases in T20 World Cup history.

Allen Broke Chris Gayle's 10-Year Record

Before Allen's innings, Chris Gayle owned the record with his 47-ball century against England in 2016.

That record had survived the 2021, 2022 and 2024 tournaments.

Allen did not just go one or two balls faster.

He reached the milestone 14 balls quicker than Gayle.

That is a huge difference in T20 cricket.

A batter scoring a 47-ball hundred is already producing an exceptional innings. Reaching the same milestone in 33 balls pushed the record into a completely different range.

2. Chris Gayle – 47-Ball Century vs England, 2016

Chris Gayle held the fastest T20 World Cup century record for ten years after reaching his hundred from 47 balls against England in 2016.

The match was played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

England batted first and scored 182/6.

A target of 183 was challenging, but Gayle made it look much easier.

He started carefully compared with his normal standards, but once he found his timing, England's bowlers struggled to stop him.

Gayle Attacked England's Spinners

Gayle's acceleration came mainly after the early overs.

He attacked Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and England's fast bowlers with his usual straight hitting.

Once Gayle started clearing the boundary, the chase moved quickly.

He reached his century from 47 balls and finished unbeaten on 100 from 48 deliveries.

His innings included five fours and eleven sixes.

West Indies won comfortably.

Gayle Became the First Player With Two T20 World Cup Centuries

The 2016 hundred was not Gayle's first T20 World Cup century.

He had already scored 117 against South Africa in 2007.

That made him the first player to score two centuries in Men's T20 World Cup history.

For years, Gayle was the only player to achieve the feat.

Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan later matched the career total in 2026 by scoring two hundreds in the same tournament.

3. Chris Gayle – 50-Ball Century vs South Africa, 2007

Chris Gayle also scored the first century in Men's T20 World Cup history.

He reached the milestone from 50 balls against South Africa in 2007.

The innings came in the opening match of the first-ever Men's T20 World Cup.

Gayle scored 117 from 57 balls, giving the new tournament an explosive start.

He hit seven fours and ten sixes.

Although West Indies lost the match, Gayle had already created one of the competition's first major batting records.

Gayle Set the Standard for T20 World Cup Power Hitting

The 2007 tournament was still early in the development of international T20 cricket.

Teams were learning how aggressively they could bat across 20 overs.

Gayle immediately showed what was possible.

He attacked from the start and became the first batter to score a century in a Men's T20 World Cup.

Nine years later, he improved his own record by three balls.

For a long period, the fastest-century list was basically a Chris Gayle record book.

4. Harry Brook – 50-Ball Century vs Pakistan, 2026

Harry Brook joined Chris Gayle on 50 balls when he scored a century against Pakistan during the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup.

Brook's hundred placed him among the fastest century-makers in tournament history.

A 50-ball hundred requires a batter to maintain a scoring rate of at least two runs per ball for most of the innings.

Brook's aggressive middle-order game allowed him to reach that level during the 2026 tournament.

His performance also made 2026 the first edition to produce two entries inside the top four fastest T20 World Cup hundreds: Finn Allen's record 33-ball century and Brook's 50-ball hundred.

5. Brendon McCullum – 51-Ball Century vs Bangladesh, 2012

Brendon McCullum reached his century from 51 balls against Bangladesh in the 2012 T20 World Cup.

He continued attacking after reaching the milestone and eventually scored 123 from 58 balls.

For many years, 123 remained the highest individual score in Men's T20 World Cup history.

McCullum hit eleven fours and seven sixes during the innings.

His aggression helped New Zealand build a huge total and showed why he was one of the most dangerous T20 batters of his era.

McCullum's 123 Was More Than Just a Fast Century

McCullum did not stop after reaching three figures.

He added another 23 runs in only a handful of deliveries.

That late acceleration pushed his innings to 123.

His ability to hit both fast bowling and spin made him difficult to contain.

The innings became one of New Zealand's most famous individual performances at a T20 World Cup.

6. Rilee Rossouw – 52-Ball Century vs Bangladesh, 2022

Rilee Rossouw scored a 52-ball century against Bangladesh in the 2022 Men's T20 World Cup.

South Africa batted first in Sydney, and Rossouw dominated the innings.

He eventually scored 109 from 56 balls.

His innings included seven fours and eight sixes.

Rossouw attacked through the middle overs and kept the scoring rate high even after South Africa lost wickets.

His hundred became the first century of the 2022 tournament.

Rossouw's Century Helped South Africa Post a Huge Total

South Africa reached 205/5.

Bangladesh then struggled badly during the chase.

South Africa won comfortably, and Rossouw was the clear match-winner.

The innings also placed him among a very small group of batters to score a Men's T20 World Cup century in fewer than 55 balls.

7. Ahmed Shehzad – 58-Ball Century vs Bangladesh, 2014

Ahmed Shehzad reached his century from 58 balls against Bangladesh in the 2014 Men's T20 World Cup.

He finished unbeaten on 111 from 62 balls.

Shehzad became the first Pakistan batter to score a century in a T20 international.

He built the innings carefully early on before attacking more heavily in the second half.

Pakistan scored 190/5 and went on to win the match.

His century remains one of Pakistan's most important individual T20 World Cup batting performances.

Sahibzada Farhan Scored Two Centuries in T20 World Cup 2026

Pakistan added two more T20 World Cup centuries through Sahibzada Farhan in 2026.

Farhan became the first player to score two centuries in a single Men's T20 World Cup edition.

He scored hundreds against Namibia and Sri Lanka.

His century against Namibia came from 58 balls, while he scored 100 from 60 balls against Sri Lanka.

Farhan's hundreds were not as fast as Allen's record, but they helped him finish the tournament with a record 383 runs.

Fastest Century in T20 World Cup 2026

The fastest century of the 2026 tournament was Finn Allen's 33-ball hundred against South Africa.

Harry Brook was next among the fastest century-makers with his 50-ball hundred against Pakistan.

Farhan also scored two hundreds during the tournament.

The edition therefore produced several major century records:

The 2026 tournament changed several long-standing Men's T20 World Cup batting records.

Fastest Century in a T20 World Cup Knockout Match

Finn Allen also holds the record for the fastest century in a Men's T20 World Cup knockout match.

His 33-ball hundred came in the semi-final against South Africa.

Scoring quickly in a knockout match is more difficult because the pressure is much higher.

One poor shot can end a player's tournament.

Allen still attacked almost from the first ball and reached three figures before New Zealand had completed 13 overs of the chase.

That makes the innings one of the greatest knockout batting performances in tournament history.

Fastest Century by New Zealand in T20 World Cup

Finn Allen now holds New Zealand's fastest T20 World Cup century record with 33 balls.

Before him, Brendon McCullum had held the New Zealand mark with his 51-ball century against Bangladesh in 2012.

Allen went 18 balls faster than McCullum.

That gap shows how extreme his 2026 semi-final innings really was.

Fastest Century by West Indies in T20 World Cup

Chris Gayle remains the fastest West Indies centurion.

He reached 100 from 47 balls against England in 2016.

His earlier 50-ball century against South Africa is second.

Gayle therefore owns both of West Indies' fastest Men's T20 World Cup hundreds.

He is also one of the few players to score multiple centuries in tournament history.

Fastest Century by Pakistan in T20 World Cup

Ahmed Shehzad's 58-ball century against Bangladesh in 2014 was Pakistan's first T20 World Cup hundred.

Sahibzada Farhan later produced two centuries in 2026, including a 58-ball hundred against Namibia and a 60-ball hundred against Sri Lanka.

The 58-ball mark therefore represents Pakistan's quickest century at the tournament.

Farhan's bigger achievement was scoring two hundreds in the same edition.

Fastest Century vs Highest Score in T20 World Cup

These are different records.

The fastest century measures how many balls a batter needed to reach 100.

The highest individual score looks at the final score in the innings.

A player can reach a century very quickly and then finish close to 100, while another batter may take longer to reach the milestone but continue to 120 or 130.

Finn Allen's record is based on reaching 100 in 33 balls.

His final score was 100 not out because New Zealand completed the chase soon afterwards.

Why a 33-Ball Century Is Extraordinary

To score 100 from 33 deliveries, a batter needs a strike rate above 300.

That means scoring more than three runs per ball on average.

Even hitting one boundary per over would not come close.

The batter needs repeated fours and sixes with very few dot balls.

Allen hit 18 boundaries in his innings.

Those boundary numbers explain how he was able to reach 100 so quickly.

Powerplay Hitting Was Key to Allen's Record

The powerplay gives batters an opportunity because only two fielders are allowed outside the inner circle.

Allen made full use of it.

He attacked fast bowlers and spin instead of using the first few overs to settle.

New Zealand reached 84 runs in the first six overs against South Africa.

That start meant the required rate was almost gone before the middle overs began.

Allen's powerplay attack created the base for the record century.

Chris Gayle's Record Lasted for Ten Years

Gayle reached his 47-ball century in March 2016.

For the next ten years, several great T20 batters played in the World Cup without breaking it.

The record survived the 2021 tournament in the UAE, the 2022 tournament in Australia and the 2024 tournament in the West Indies and USA.

Finn Allen finally broke it in March 2026.

He did not just move past it narrowly.

Going from 47 balls to 33 balls was one of the biggest jumps seen in a major T20 World Cup batting record.

How Many Centuries Have Been Scored in T20 World Cups?

Centuries remain rare in T20 World Cup cricket.

A batter normally has only 120 team deliveries available, and most players will face far fewer than that.

They also need to score quickly because spending 60 or 70 balls reaching a hundred may hurt the team's total.

This is why a World Cup century usually combines long time at the crease with a high strike rate.

Players such as Gayle, McCullum, Rossouw, Shehzad, Allen, Brook and Farhan managed to achieve that balance.

Who Scored the First Century in T20 World Cup History?

Chris Gayle scored the first Men's T20 World Cup century.

He made 117 against South Africa in the opening match of the inaugural 2007 tournament.

That innings also made him the first batter to score a T20 international century at a Men's T20 World Cup.

Gayle later became the first player to score two World Cup hundreds when he reached 100 against England in 2016.

Who Scored the Fastest Century in T20 World Cup History?

The direct answer is Finn Allen of New Zealand.

He reached his century from only 33 balls against South Africa in the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup semi-final.

Allen finished unbeaten on 100 from 33 balls, hitting 10 fours and eight sixes.

New Zealand chased 170 in 12.5 overs and won by nine wickets.

His century broke Chris Gayle's previous 47-ball record and remains the fastest in Men's T20 World Cup history through the end of the 2026 tournament.

FAQs

Who scored the fastest century in T20 World Cup history?

Finn Allen holds the record with a 33-ball century for New Zealand against South Africa in the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup semi-final.

How many balls did Finn Allen take to score his T20 World Cup century?

Allen reached 100 from only 33 deliveries.

Who held the fastest T20 World Cup century record before Finn Allen?

Chris Gayle held the previous record with a 47-ball hundred against England in 2016.

What was Finn Allen's final score against South Africa?

He finished unbeaten on 100 from 33 balls.

How many sixes did Finn Allen hit in his record century?

Allen hit eight sixes and ten fours.

What is Chris Gayle's fastest T20 World Cup century?

Gayle reached a century from 47 balls against England in 2016.

Who scored the first century in T20 World Cup history?

Chris Gayle scored 117 against South Africa in 2007, the first century in Men's T20 World Cup history.

Who has scored the most T20 World Cup centuries?

Chris Gayle and Sahibzada Farhan have both scored two. Farhan became the first player to score two centuries in the same edition in 2026.

What is the fastest century by Pakistan in T20 World Cup?

Ahmed Shehzad and Sahibzada Farhan have both reached centuries from 58 balls, against Bangladesh in 2014 and Namibia in 2026 respectively.

Was Finn Allen's century scored in a knockout match?

Yes. His record 33-ball hundred came in the 2026 semi-final against South Africa.

Sources

• ICC – Finn Allen Breaks the Fastest T20 World Cup Century Record
  View official ICC report
• ICC – New Zealand vs South Africa, T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-Final
  View official ICC match report
• ICC – All Records Broken at the T20 World Cup 2026
  View official tournament records
• ICC – Fastest Men's T20 World Cup Centuries Before 2026
  View ICC World Cup batting records
• ICC – Sahibzada Farhan's Two Centuries in T20 World Cup 2026
  View official ICC record report