Introduction: Why Centuries Are So Rare in the T20 World Cup

In more than 600 matches across 10 editions of the T20 World Cup, only 16 centuries have been scored. Think about that for a moment. Three figures in 20 overs, against the world’s best bowlers, under tournament pressure, is one of the hardest things a batter can do in cricket.

The T20 World Cup is a different beast from franchise leagues. IPL hundreds happen almost every season. PSL and BBL centuries pop up regularly. But at the World Cup, the bowling is sharper, the pressure is heavier, and batters often sacrifice personal milestones for team targets. That is exactly what makes this list so special.

From Chris Gayle’s historic 117 in Johannesburg in 2007 to Sahibzada Farhan’s twin tons in Colombo in 2026, each century on this list comes with a story. This article covers every single hundred ever scored at the T20 World Cup, ranked, analyzed, and explained in full.

Complete T20 World Cup Centuries List (All 16 Hundreds)

The table below includes every century scored in T20 World Cup history from 2007 to 2026, arranged in chronological order.

No.	Player	Country	Score	Balls	4s	6s	Opponent	Venue	Year	Result
1	Chris Gayle	West Indies	117	57	7	10	South Africa	Wanderers, Johannesburg	2007	Won
2	Suresh Raina	India	101	60	9	5	South Africa	Gros Islet, St. Lucia	2010	Won
3	Mahela Jayawardene	Sri Lanka	100*	64	10	4	Zimbabwe	Providence, Guyana	2010	Won
4	Brendon McCullum	New Zealand	123	58	11	7	Bangladesh	Pallekele	2012	Won
5	Alex Hales	England	116*	64	11	6	Sri Lanka	Chittagong	2014	Won
6	Ahmed Shehzad	Pakistan	111*	62	10	5	Bangladesh	Mirpur, Dhaka	2014	Won
7	Chris Gayle	West Indies	100*	47	3	11	England	Wankhede, Mumbai	2016	Won
8	Tamim Iqbal	Bangladesh	103*	63	10	5	Oman	Dharamsala	2016	Won
9	Jos Buttler	England	101*	67	6	6	Sri Lanka	Sharjah	2021	Won
10	Rilee Rossouw	South Africa	109	56	7	8	Bangladesh	SCG, Sydney	2022	Won
11	Glenn Phillips	New Zealand	104*	64	10	4	Sri Lanka	SCG, Sydney	2022	Won
12	Pathum Nissanka	Sri Lanka	100*	52	8	4	Australia	Colombo	2026	Won
13	Yuvraj Samra	Canada	110	65	11	6	New Zealand	Colombo	2026	Lost
14	Sahibzada Farhan	Pakistan	100*	58	11	4	Namibia	Colombo	2026	Won
15	Harry Brook	England	100	51	10	4	Pakistan	Pallekele	2026	Won
16	Sahibzada Farhan	Pakistan	100*	60	9	5	Sri Lanka	Colombo	2026	Won

T20 World Cup Centuries: Edition-by-Edition Breakdown

2007 T20 World Cup (South Africa) – 1 Century

The inaugural T20 World Cup opened with a bang. Chris Gayle of West Indies walked out to face South Africa in the very first match of the tournament at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, and proceeded to tear the attack apart. He made 117 off 57 balls, hitting 10 sixes and 7 fours. That knock, at a strike rate of 205.26, made him the first person in history to score a century in a T20 international. It also made him the first batter ever to score a hundred in all three formats of international cricket.

2009 T20 World Cup (England) – 0 Centuries

The 2009 edition, played in England under often challenging conditions, produced no centuries. Pakistan won the tournament without a single player reaching three figures. Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka was the tournament’s top scorer with 317 runs across the competition, but never converted a big score into a hundred.

2010 T20 World Cup (West Indies) – 2 Centuries

This edition gave us two centuries and two significant firsts. Suresh Raina became the first Indian to score a T20 World Cup century when he made 101 off 60 balls against South Africa in Gros Islet. In the same tournament, Mahela Jayawardene scored an unbeaten 100 off 64 balls against Zimbabwe in Providence, Guyana, becoming the first Sri Lankan to reach three figures in the event. Both innings also helped these players complete the rare feat of scoring centuries in all three formats of international cricket.

2012 T20 World Cup (Sri Lanka) – 1 Century

Brendon McCullum redefined what was possible in a T20 World Cup innings when he made 123 off 58 balls against Bangladesh at Pallekele. His strike rate of 212.06 was extraordinary. He hit 11 fours and 7 sixes and reached his century in just 51 balls, which was the fastest hundred in the tournament at the time. His score of 123 remains the highest individual innings in T20 World Cup history to this day.

2014 T20 World Cup (Bangladesh) – 2 Centuries

Two centuries were scored in the 2014 edition, both by openers. Alex Hales of England made 116 not out off 64 balls against Sri Lanka in Chittagong, becoming England’s first-ever T20 World Cup centurion. Days later, Ahmed Shehzad scored 111 not out off 62 balls against Bangladesh in Mirpur, becoming the first Pakistani to score a century in all three formats of international cricket.

2016 T20 World Cup (India) – 2 Centuries

Chris Gayle joined an exclusive club when he scored his second T20 World Cup century, blasting 100 not out off just 47 balls against England at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Those 47 balls set the record for the fastest century in tournament history, a record that stood until the 2026 edition. Tamim Iqbal scored the other century in this edition, making 103 not out off 63 balls against Oman in Dharamsala. It was Bangladesh’s first-ever T20 World Cup hundred, and it helped Tamim become the first Bangladeshi to score centuries in all three international formats.

2021 T20 World Cup (UAE and Oman) – 1 Century

Jos Buttler produced the only century of the 2021 edition, scoring 101 not out off 67 balls against Sri Lanka in Sharjah. The Sharjah surface had a reputation for being slow and low, making the knock all the more impressive. Buttler’s century also made him the first English batter to score hundreds in all three formats. England won the tournament that year.

2022 T20 World Cup (Australia) – 2 Centuries

Both centuries in Australia came at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Rilee Rossouw of South Africa smashed 109 off 56 balls against Bangladesh, maintaining a strike rate of 194.64, while his individual score actually exceeded Bangladesh’s entire reply of 101 all out. Glenn Phillips then produced one of the great rescue acts in T20 World Cup history, scoring 104 not out off 64 balls against Sri Lanka after New Zealand had slumped to 6 for 4 inside the first two overs.

2024 T20 World Cup (West Indies and USA) – 0 Centuries

Despite the expanded format featuring 20 teams and more matches, the 2024 T20 World Cup produced no centuries. The slow, low pitches across venues in the West Indies and the USA suppressed scoring rates throughout the tournament. India won the title without a single player on either side reaching three figures in any match.

2026 T20 World Cup (India and Sri Lanka) – 5 Centuries

The 2026 edition, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, became the richest in century-scoring history with five hundreds in a single tournament. Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka hit 100 not out off 52 balls against Australia. Canada’s Yuvraj Samra made 110 off 65 balls against New Zealand, becoming the youngest centurion in T20 World Cup history. Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan then became the first batter to score two centuries in a single T20 World Cup edition, with 100 not out off 58 balls against Namibia and another 100 not out off 60 balls against Sri Lanka in the Super 8. England’s Harry Brook rounded off the century-scoring with 100 off 51 balls against Pakistan, second only to Gayle’s 47-ball hundred as the fastest in history.

Fastest Centuries in T20 World Cup History

Speed matters in T20 cricket. Here are the fastest hundreds in T20 World Cup history, ranked by balls faced to reach the century mark.

Rank	Player	Score	Balls to 100	Opponent	Year
1	Chris Gayle (WI)	100*	47	England	2016
2	Chris Gayle (WI)	117	50	South Africa	2007
2	Harry Brook (ENG)	100	51	Pakistan	2026
4	Brendon McCullum (NZ)	123	51	Bangladesh	2012
5	Rilee Rossouw (SA)	109	52	Bangladesh	2022
5	Pathum Nissanka (SL)	100*	52	Australia	2026

Key Records and Statistics

Most Centuries in T20 World Cup History

• Chris Gayle (West Indies) – 2 centuries (2007, 2016)
• Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan) – 2 centuries (both in 2026)
• All other centurions have scored one century each

Highest Individual Scores in T20 World Cup

• 123 – Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) vs Bangladesh, 2012
• 117 – Chris Gayle (West Indies) vs South Africa, 2007
• 116* – Alex Hales (England) vs Sri Lanka, 2014
• 111* – Ahmed Shehzad (Pakistan) vs Bangladesh, 2014
• 110 – Yuvraj Samra (Canada) vs New Zealand, 2026

Countries With T20 World Cup Centurions

• England – 2 centurions (Alex Hales 2014, Harry Brook 2026)
• Pakistan – 2 centurions (Ahmed Shehzad 2014, Sahibzada Farhan 2026)
• West Indies – 1 centurion (Chris Gayle – 2 hundreds)
• New Zealand – 2 centurions (Brendon McCullum 2012, Glenn Phillips 2022)
• Sri Lanka – 1 centurion (Mahela Jayawardene 2010, Pathum Nissanka 2026) – 2 players
• India – 1 centurion (Suresh Raina 2010)
• Bangladesh – 1 centurion (Tamim Iqbal 2016)
• South Africa – 1 centurion (Rilee Rossouw 2022)
• Canada – 1 centurion (Yuvraj Samra 2026)

The Stories Behind Each Century

Chris Gayle – The Original T20 World Cup Centurion

There would be no list without Chris Gayle. He wrote the first chapter of this record book on 11 September 2007 against South Africa in Johannesburg. Not only was it the first century in T20 World Cup history, it was the first T20 international century ever scored by any player anywhere. He was not done there. Nine years later at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Gayle beat his own record for the fastest World Cup century, getting there off just 47 balls against England. That 2016 innings included 11 sixes, the most in any T20 World Cup century innings. West Indies went on to win that tournament, with Gayle setting the tone right from the opening game.

Brendon McCullum – The Highest Score in T20 World Cup History

Brendon McCullum’s 123 against Bangladesh in 2012 remains the highest individual score in T20 World Cup history, over a decade after the innings was played. He walked in after Martin Guptill’s early dismissal and took complete charge of the innings. His strike rate of 212.06 across 58 balls was relentless. The innings helped New Zealand post 191 for 3 and win by 59 runs. McCullum later became one of England’s most successful Test coaches, but cricket fans in New Zealand and around the world still talk about that Pallekele knock.

Sahibzada Farhan – History in 2026

Sahibzada Farhan changed the record books during the 2026 T20 World Cup in a way nobody had managed in 19 years of the tournament. He scored 100 not out off 58 balls against Namibia in the group stage, and then, just days later, added another 100 not out off 60 balls against Sri Lanka in the Super 8. No batter had ever scored two centuries in a single T20 World Cup edition before Farhan. He also broke Virat Kohli’s long-standing record for most runs in a single edition of the tournament, finishing with 383 runs.

Glenn Phillips – From 6/4 to Victory

Glenn Phillips is one of the few T20 World Cup centurions who is not an opener, and his 104 not out against Sri Lanka in Sydney in 2022 is perhaps the most dramatic century in the list. New Zealand were in serious trouble at 6 runs for 4 wickets inside the first two overs. Phillips walked in and changed everything. He made 104 from 64 balls with 10 fours and 4 sixes, eventually helping New Zealand post 167 for 6 and win by 65 runs. It remains one of the great match-saving innings in T20 World Cup history.

Why Centuries Are Harder to Score at the World Cup Than in Franchise Leagues

A common question among cricket fans is why centuries are so much rarer at the T20 World Cup than in the IPL, BBL, or PSL. The answer comes down to several factors.

Bowling Quality

At the T20 World Cup, every bowling attack is at full strength. You face the best fast bowlers from each country alongside top-quality spinners. There are no weak links, which means sustained attack for 20 overs is almost impossible to maintain.

Pressure of Tournament Cricket

Individual hundreds require a batter to stay at the crease for a long time while maintaining a high strike rate. In World Cup knockout scenarios, teams often bat to targets rather than for personal milestones. A batter may sacrifice his wicket in the final overs chasing a score rather than waiting to complete a century.

Pitch Conditions

Tournament venues are often prepared to be balanced rather than batter-friendly. The 2021 edition in the UAE on slow, low pitches produced only one century (Buttler’s 101), while the flat Wankhede strip in 2016 saw Gayle’s fastest hundred. Ground conditions play a huge role.

Format and Team Strategy

In franchise cricket, a batter from a star-studded lineup can afford to play freely from ball one because there is another match the next week. At a World Cup, a loss can mean going home. That changes how batters play and how captains manage their lineups.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. How many centuries have been scored in T20 World Cup history?

As of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 16 centuries have been scored in the tournament’s history by 14 different batters across 10 editions (2007 to 2026).

Q2. Who has the most centuries in T20 World Cup history?

Chris Gayle of West Indies and Sahibzada Farhan of Pakistan both hold the record with 2 centuries each. Gayle scored his in 2007 and 2016, while Farhan scored both his centuries in the 2026 edition alone, making him the first to score two centuries in a single T20 World Cup tournament.

Q3. What is the highest individual score in T20 World Cup history?

Brendon McCullum of New Zealand holds the record with 123 runs off 58 balls against Bangladesh in the 2012 T20 World Cup at Pallekele. He hit 11 fours and 7 sixes at a strike rate of 212.06.

Q4. What is the fastest century in T20 World Cup history?

Chris Gayle holds the record for the fastest century in T20 World Cup history, reaching 100 off just 47 balls against England in the 2016 edition at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Harry Brook and Brendon McCullum are joint second fastest, both reaching their centuries off 50-51 balls.

Q5. Which edition of the T20 World Cup had the most centuries?

The 2026 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, saw the most centuries in a single edition with 5 hundreds (including Sahibzada Farhan’s two), surpassing the previous high of 2 centuries per edition.

Q6. Has any T20 World Cup edition gone without a century?

Yes. The 2009 T20 World Cup (held in England) and the 2024 T20 World Cup (held in West Indies and USA) are the two editions where no century was scored across the entire tournament.

Q7. Which is the only Indian to score a T20 World Cup century?

Suresh Raina is the only Indian batter to score a century in T20 World Cup history. He scored 101 off 60 balls against South Africa in the 2010 edition at Gros Islet, St. Lucia.

Q8. Has any team lost a match despite a player scoring a century?

Yes. Yuvraj Samra of Canada scored 110 off 65 balls against New Zealand in the 2026 T20 World Cup but Canada still lost the match, making it one of the rare instances where a century could not save the team.

Q9. Why are centuries so rare in T20 World Cups?

Centuries are rare in T20 World Cups because of the combination of world-class bowling attacks, pressure-filled match situations, tournament-specific pitch preparations, and the format’s inherent nature of prioritizing team totals over individual milestones. Only 16 have been scored in 10 editions spanning nearly 20 years.

Q10. Which country has produced the most T20 World Cup centurions?

England and Pakistan lead with two centurions each (Alex Hales and Harry Brook for England; Ahmed Shehzad and Sahibzada Farhan for Pakistan). West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Bangladesh, South Africa, and Canada each have one centurion.

Key Takeaways

• 16 centuries have been scored in T20 World Cup history across 10 editions from 2007 to 2026.
• 14 different batters have achieved the feat, representing 9 different countries.
• Chris Gayle (West Indies) and Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan) share the record with 2 centuries each.
• Brendon McCullum’s 123 against Bangladesh in 2012 is the highest individual score in T20 World Cup history.
• Gayle’s 47-ball century in 2016 is the fastest in the tournament’s history.
• The 2009 and 2024 editions produced no centuries at all.
• The 2026 edition produced a record 5 centuries in a single tournament.
• Suresh Raina remains the only Indian batter to score a T20 World Cup century.
• Centuries are extremely rare because of top-quality bowling, pitch conditions, and the pressure of tournament cricket.
• Sahibzada Farhan became the first batter in 2026 to score two centuries in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.

Conclusion

The T20 World Cup centuries list is a short but elite club. In nearly 20 years and hundreds of matches, only 16 hundreds have been scored. Every name on this list achieved something genuinely difficult on the biggest stage in T20 cricket. Chris Gayle started it all in 2007 and added to his record in 2016. Brendon McCullum set a score that has never been beaten. Suresh Raina, Mahela Jayawardene, Alex Hales, Ahmed Shehzad, Tamim Iqbal, Jos Buttler, Rilee Rossouw, Glenn Phillips, Pathum Nissanka, Yuvraj Samra, Harry Brook, and Sahibzada Farhan all wrote their own chapters.

The 2026 edition changed the pace of the record books with five centuries in a single tournament, but do not expect the trend to continue easily. T20 World Cup centuries were always rare for a reason, and they will remain rare even as batting gets more aggressive. The players who manage to score them deserve every bit of recognition they get.