Fastest Century in IPL History
On April 23, 2013 Chris Gayle scored a hundred in 30 balls for RCB against the Pune Warriors. This was in his 175 not out in 66 balls. It was such a hundred that it almost went unnoticed by many.
It was a record that stood for 12 years. Over those 12 years the IPL grew, the boundaries were shortened, the bats were fattened and T20 cricket emerged as the most popular in the world. Nobody touched 30 balls for the fastest century in IPL history.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi was the third top scorer for the Rajasthan Royals on April 20, 2025. This 14-year-old player made an impressive century by taking only 35 balls and became the youngest player in IPL, as highlighted by Your IPL News.
Top 10 Fastest Century in IPL History
The fastest century in IPL history list shows explosive batting performances which changed the future of T20 cricket from Chris Gayle’s 30-ball century to current power hitters.
| No. | Batter | Balls | Team vs Opposition | Result | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Gayle | 30 | RCB vs Pune Warriors | Won by 130 | 2013 |
| 2 | Vaibhav Suryavanshi | 35 | RR vs Gujarat Titans | Won by 8 wkts | 2025 |
| 3 | Vaibhav Suryavanshi | 37 | RR vs SRH | SRH won by 5 wkts | 2026 |
| 3 | Yusuf Pathan | 37 | RR vs MI | Lost by 4 runs | 2010 |
| 5 | Heinrich Klaasen | 37 | SRH vs KKR | SRH won | 2025 |
| 6 | David Miller | 38 | PBKS vs RCB | Won by 2 runs | 2013 |
| 7 | Travis Head | 39 | SRH vs RCB | Won by 25 runs | 2024 |
| 8 | Priyansh Arya | 39 | PBKS vs CSK | PBKS won | 2025 |
| 9 | Abhishek Sharma | 40 | SRH vs PBKS | Won by 44 runs | 2025 |
| 10 | Will Jacks | 41 | RCB vs GT | Won by 9 wkts | 2024 |
4 Things This Table Does Not Tell You
The 18 seasons of history alone made IPL 2025 generate 4 of the 10 fastest centuries.
There were centuries of 40 balls or less by Suryavanshi, Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma, and Priyansh Arya in IPL 2025. Four of one season into a list that is 18 years. It is not by chance. The Impact Player rule, reduced boundary dimensions at some stadiums and a new breed of batters who are specially trained to hit T20 power changed what is achievable within one season.
The 37-ball century of Yusuf Pathan was a part of a chase they lost by 4 runs. He was awarded Player of the Month however.
RR were chasing 213. Pathan entered at 3 in 7th over at 40. He struck 9 fours and 8 sixes and made 100 out of 37 balls. RR continues to lose by 4 runs. He was awarded the match referee in a loss as Player of the Match. It was hardly something that had previously occurred in the history of IPL. He created one of the best centuries in the history of the tournament. His partners were worn out.
The 30-ball century of Gayle is included in a 175 run innings. He hit 100 and continued to run 75 more.
The majority of batters that make T20 hundreds decelerate a bit once they achieve the mark. Gayle made 100 to 175 in the rest of his 36 balls of his innings. He made 75 runs following his century at a rate of 208. This record is not only the fastest 100, the fastest century in IPL history, it is during an inning in which 100 was hardly half-way into the devastation.
When he scored his century, Suryavanshi was 14 years and 32 days old. The second player is 28.
The youngest and the second youngest centurion in IPL history have a 14-year age difference. Suryavanshi is not only the youngest centurion at IPL. He is the youngest among the few to make a century in any major league of T20 in the world. His 35 ball hundred following 210 in a victorious run chase against GT is the quickest century in a winning run chase in the history of IPL.
Fastest Centuries by Indians in IPL History
| No. | Batter | Balls | Year | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vaibhav Suryavanshi | 35 | 2025 | RR vs GT |
| 2 | Yusuf Pathan | 37 | 2010 | RR vs MI |
| 3 | Priyansh Arya | 39 | 2025 | PBKS vs CSK |
| 4 | Abhishek Sharma | 40 | 2025 | SRH vs PBKS |
| 5 | Mayank Agarwal | 45 | 2020 | KXIP vs RR |
Out of the five quickest centuries hit by Indians, three have occurred in IPL 2025, one being the fastest century in IPL history. One of them was hit by a boy who was only 14 years old. There has never been such a generation of Indian T20 batsmen that could produce hundreds as fast as this one did.
The IPL Century Timeline: How the Record Has Fallen
| Year | Record Holder | Balls | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Brendon McCullum | 73 | First-ever IPL century, inaugural match |
| 2010 | Yusuf Pathan | 37 | Held the record for 3 years in a losing cause |
| 2013 | Chris Gayle | 30 | Broke it as part of 175. Held for 12 years |
| 2025 | Vaibhav Suryavanshi | 35 | 14-year-old. Second fastest ever |
There have been just three holders of the record within 18 years of its establishment, which is the fastest century in IPL history. It was achieved by McCullum during the very first match of IPL’s history. Pathan broke the record in 2010. In 2013, Gayle beat that record. The latter remains unmatched to this day.
Will Gayle’s 30-Ball Record Ever Be Beaten?
A batter has to hit 30 balls in 29 or less since they are counted. That is 8 sixes and 4 fours out of the first 29 deliveries of nearly zero dot balls.
The sequence was not a chance occurrence in the innings of Gayle. In the first 7 balls he met he hit 4 sixes. In the following over, he struck 2 more. He had already struck 7 sixes by the age of 50. The acceleration was not necessary since it was not in any way decelerating.
Suryavanshi is the one active batter whose profile makes 29 balls plausible for the fastest century in IPL history. He scored 35 runs at age 14 in his debut IPL season. As he gets stronger and reads conditions better, the gap between 35 and 29 is not impossible.
The record survives IPL 2026. After that, with Suryavanshi entering his second season and a generation of SRH power hitters already rewriting records, the conversation around the fastest century in IPL history is no longer theoretical.
