The fastest century in IPL history belongs to Chris Gayle, who reached three figures in just 30 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors India on April 23, 2013. More than a decade later, no batter has matched it. In 2025 and 2026, a teenager named Vaibhav Suryavanshi came closer than anyone ever had. This article covers the complete list of the fastest hundreds in the IPL, the stories behind each innings, and the records and facts around them.

What Is the Fastest Century in IPL History?

The record stands at 30 balls, set by Chris Gayle in IPL 2013. Gayle finished the match on 175 not out from 66 balls, including 13 fours and 17 sixes. It remains the highest individual score in IPL history and one of the highest in all of T20 cricket. RCB posted 263/5, then the highest team total in the tournament, and won by 130 runs.

Why Gayle’s Record Is So Hard to Break

Reaching a century in under 35 balls means scoring at a strike rate above 285 for the whole stretch. A batter needs a bowling attack that gives him width and pace to work with, a small boundary, and a surface that favours stroke play. Gayle had all three at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. He also had the power to clear the ropes even on mistimed shots. His half-century came in only 17 balls, and he scored his next 50 in 13 more.

Top 10 Fastest Centuries in IPL History

Here is the list of the quickest IPL hundreds, based on balls faced to reach 100. Figures vary slightly between sources for some innings, so check the official IPL website or ESPNcricinfo before publishing or quoting.

Rank	Batter	Balls	Team	Opponent	Year
1	Chris Gayle	30	RCB	Pune Warriors India	2013
2	Vaibhav Suryavanshi	35	Rajasthan Royals	Gujarat Titans	2025
3	Vaibhav Suryavanshi	about 36	Rajasthan Royals	Sunrisers Hyderabad	2026
4	Yusuf Pathan	37	Rajasthan Royals	Mumbai Indians	2010
5	David Miller	38	Kings XI Punjab	RCB	2013
6	Travis Head	39	Sunrisers Hyderabad	RCB	2024
7	Abhishek Sharma	40	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Punjab Kings	2025
8	Will Jacks	41	RCB	Gujarat Titans	2024
9	Adam Gilchrist	42	Deccan Chargers	Mumbai Indians	2008
10	Mayank Agarwal	45	Kings XI Punjab	Rajasthan Royals	2020

Only a handful of players have ever reached a hundred in 40 balls or fewer, which shows how rare these innings are.

Chris Gayle: 30 Balls, the Untouchable Record

The Match Context

RCB hosted Pune Warriors India at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during IPL 2013. Gayle had missed the early part of the season, and he returned with an innings that changed how people think about T20 batting. He attacked from the first over and never slowed down. The bowlers tried yorkers, slower balls and bouncers, and he cleared the boundary against all of them.

The Numbers Behind the Knock

Gayle’s 175* came off 66 balls, a strike rate of about 265. He hit 17 sixes in the innings, still the most by any batter in a single IPL match. The partnership with Virat Kohli and the support from the middle order helped RCB reach 263, but this was Gayle’s innings from start to finish.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi: The Teenager Who Came Within Five Balls

The 35-Ball Hundred in 2025

On April 28, 2025, Vaibhav Suryavanshi walked out for Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur against Gujarat Titans. He was 14 years old. He scored 101 from 38 balls, with 7 fours and 11 sixes, and reached his century in 35 balls. This made it the fastest IPL hundred by an Indian and the second-fastest in the tournament’s history at that point. He was also the youngest centurion in men’s T20 history, and the innings helped Rajasthan chase down 210 with plenty of overs to spare.

The 2026 Follow-Up

Suryavanshi did it again in IPL 2026, scoring 103 from 37 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Reports describe it as the third-fastest century in IPL history, and he became the first batter to score two IPL hundreds in under 40 balls. His fifty came in just 15 balls. It was also his fourth T20 hundred in his 26th match, the quickest any player has reached that mark.

Why He Is the Best Threat to Gayle’s Record

Suryavanshi combines fearless intent with clean ball-striking, and he does it at an age when most players are still in junior cricket. He plays from the first ball and does not wait to settle. If anyone beats 30 balls in the coming seasons, he is among the most likely candidates.

Yusuf Pathan: The Indian Record That Stood for 15 Years

The 2010 Innings

On March 13, 2010, Yusuf Pathan scored a hundred in 37 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Mumbai Indians at the Brabourne Stadium. His innings included 9 fours and 8 sixes. It was the fastest IPL century at the time and remained the fastest by an Indian until Suryavanshi’s 35-ball knock in 2025.

A Century in a Losing Cause

Despite Pathan’s brilliance, Rajasthan lost the match. Mumbai chased down the target thanks to a fast knock from Kieron Pollard. This is a reminder that a record-breaking innings does not always decide the result of a match.

David Miller: Killer Miller at Mohali

David Miller scored a century in 38 balls for Kings XI Punjab against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Mohali in May 2013. He finished on 101 not out from 38 balls. The innings came in a chase, and Punjab won comfortably. Miller was known for finishing games, but this knock showed he could also dominate from the start of an innings. It remains the fifth-fastest hundred in IPL history.

Travis Head: Sunrisers’ 287 at Chinnaswamy

On April 15, 2024, Travis Head scored 102 from 41 balls against RCB at Bengaluru, reaching his century in 39 balls. Sunrisers Hyderabad piled up 287/3, the highest team total in IPL history at the time. RCB chased hard and reached 262/7, making it the highest-scoring IPL match ever. Head’s innings set the tone for a season in which SRH repeatedly broke team scoring records and reached the final.

Abhishek Sharma: Fast Hundreds from the Left-Hander

Abhishek Sharma scored 141 off 55 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Punjab Kings in 2025, with his hundred coming in about 40 balls. It was the highest individual score by an Indian in IPL history. Abhishek has also hit big hundreds in IPL 2026, which has made him one of the most feared openers in the league. His rise reflects a broader shift in Indian batting, where young players now attack from ball one.

Will Jacks, Adam Gilchrist and Mayank Agarwal

Will Jacks (41 balls, 2024)

Will Jacks scored 100 not out in 41 balls for RCB against Gujarat Titans on April 28, 2024, at Ahmedabad. RCB chased 201 in just 16 overs. His second fifty came in only 10 balls, one of the fastest stretches ever recorded in the league.

Adam Gilchrist (42 balls, 2008)

In the first season of the IPL, Adam Gilchrist hit a fast hundred for Deccan Chargers against Mumbai Indians. He was among the first overseas stars to show how T20 batting could change a match in a few overs. Some sources list his hundred at 42 balls and others slightly higher, so quote it with care.

Mayank Agarwal (45 balls, 2020)

Mayank Agarwal scored 106 off 50 balls for Kings XI Punjab against Rajasthan Royals at Sharjah in IPL 2020, reaching his hundred in 45 balls. He is one of very few Indians in the quickest IPL centuries list.

Fastest Century by an Indian in IPL

Vaibhav Suryavanshi holds the record for the fastest century by an Indian in the IPL: 35 balls in 2025. Before him, Yusuf Pathan held it with 37 balls. Abhishek Sharma’s 141 and Mayank Agarwal’s 45-ball hundred round out the Indian entries in the list. Suryavanshi’s age makes the record even more remarkable.

Fastest Century by an Overseas Batter

Chris Gayle holds the overall record with 30 balls. After him, David Miller (38), Travis Head (39), Will Jacks (41) and Adam Gilchrist (42) are the quickest overseas batters.

Key Records and Facts About Fast IPL Centuries

Records That Go with the Fastest Hundreds

Gayle’s 175* is the highest individual score in the IPL. His 17 sixes in one innings are also a record. Suryavanshi is the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket, and the first player to score two sub-40-ball hundreds in the IPL. Head’s match with RCB produced the highest aggregate in IPL history.

What the List Tells Us

Only a very small group of batters has ever reached a hundred in under 40 balls in the IPL. The list is dominated by openers and top-order players, because they face the most deliveries in the powerplay when fielding restrictions help. The quickest hundreds have mostly come at small grounds like Bengaluru, Mohali and Jaipur.

Why Are Fast Centuries Becoming More Common?

The Impact Player Rule

The impact substitute rule gives teams an extra batter, so players at the top can attack without worrying about running out of batting depth. This has led to more 250-plus totals, and a batter in form has more freedom to chase records.

Better Bats and Smaller Boundaries

Modern bats have thick edges and large sweet spots, so even mistimed shots clear the rope. Combined with flat pitches and short boundaries, this gives batters a clear advantage.

A New Generation of Fearless Batters

Young Indian players like Suryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma grew up watching the IPL. They see sixes as a normal scoring option from ball one, which explains why the Indian entries in this list have grown in recent years.

Can Gayle’s Record Be Broken?

It is possible, but it will need near-perfect conditions. A batter would have to score more than 20 runs in the first six balls he faces after reaching double figures, or hit sixes at almost every opportunity. Suryavanshi’s 35-ball hundred shows it is not out of reach. Head, Abhishek Sharma and other hard-hitters will keep trying. As of now, 30 balls has stood for over a decade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who scored the fastest century in IPL history?

Chris Gayle, with a 30-ball hundred for RCB against Pune Warriors India in 2013.

Who has the fastest century by an Indian in the IPL?

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who reached his hundred in 35 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans in 2025.

How many balls did Travis Head take for his IPL century?

He reached his hundred in 39 balls against RCB in 2024.

Who was the youngest IPL centurion?

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who was 14 years old when he scored his first IPL hundred.

What is the highest individual score in the IPL?

Chris Gayle’s 175 not out off 66 balls in 2013.

Has anyone scored two hundreds under 40 balls in the IPL?

Reports say Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the first batter to do this with his 2026 century against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Conclusion

Chris Gayle’s 30-ball century remains the benchmark for fast batting in the IPL. Suryavanshi, Pathan, Miller, Head, Abhishek Sharma and others have pushed the boundaries of what is possible, and new records may come in the next few seasons. For now, the list of the fastest hundreds in IPL history shows how far T20 batting has come since 2008.