Over the last decade, no other format has influenced cricket as much as much T20s. The shortest format of the game has not only commercialised the game but has also given new heroes to cricket. And in a game that relies so much on scoring swift runs, a century is the ultimate achievement a batsman can dream of. There have been numerous players who have hit hundreds but only some have made it look easy. Here are the players with most centuries in T20 cricket…
List of Most Centuries in T20 cricket (International + IPL)
| S.N | Players Name | Number of centuries |
| 1 | Chris Gayle | 22 |
| 2 | David Warner | 8 |
| 3 | Brendan McCullum | 7 |
| 4 | Rohit Sharma | 6 |
| 5 | Shane Watson | 6 |
| 6 | Virat Kohli | 5 |
| 7 | Quinton de Kock | 4 |
| 8 | Suresh Raina | 4 |
| 9 | AB de Villiers | 4 |
| 10 | KL Rahul | 3 |
10KL Rahul: 3 Centuries
A tall, elegant batsman with a really impressive technique, KL Rahul has established himself as the opener of the Indian team in all formats along with Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma. He has been in thunderous form in the last few IPL seasons, with the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab and has scored 3 centuries in IPL and international T20 matches.
He is only the second Indian batsman, along with Rohit Sharma to score a hundred in all formats when opening. Rahul has scored 3852 runs with a healthy average of 41 in T20s and a highest of 110.
9AB de Villiers: 4 Centuries
Destructive and versatile don’t always go together with one player. But the only player who has successfully maintained both the traits is AB De Villiers. The most influential middle-order batsman of his generation, this Pretorian-born has scored 4 T20 hundreds. Despite this, ABD never reached the same heights in T20 internationals as in ODIs, mostly due to less batting time coming lower down.
But in major T20 leagues around the world, especially IPL, he proved himself as the master of that too. Mr.360, as he is called for his ability to hit any ball all around the park, mustered 8511 runs with a massive strike rate of 149. His most memorable knock has to be 33-ball century that he scored against West Indies, the fastest T20I century of all time.
8Suresh Raina: 4 Centuries
Among the first Indian batsmen to be successful in T20 cricket, Suresh Raina is a symbol of consistency, at least in the IPL. His most useful contributions were with the bat and he has piled 5368 runs in the IPL ! He still is the second-highest run-getter in the tournament‘s history and has scored a total of 4 centuries in T20s, only one of those in the IPL.
He has scored 400+ runs, a consecutive 7 times from 2008. Be it with his crucial knocks, superb fielding or useful part-time off-spin, Raina was Dhoni’s go-to-man whenever CSK needed him. A solid striker of the ball, he piled 8368 runs at a strike rate of nearly 139.
7Quinton de Kock: 4 Centuries
A leader in the true sense, this young wicketkeeper-batsman is one of the most promising talents coming out of South Africa in recent years. A sublime batsman in the shortest format, De Cock is known for his fearless batting and has racked up 4 T20 centuries. He broke onto the scene scoring 3 consecutive centuries against India in ODIs, the most consecutive hundreds then, and has performed consistently since.
He started gaining importance in 2016 T20 World Cup and ended up being the top scorer for South Africa. De Cock played a great role for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2019, scoring 529 runs with four half-centuries and winning the title for them.
6Virat Kohli: 4 Centuries
What more can we say of him! Virat Kohli is already an icon of the game and is accumulating runs at an unprecedented face. He was not as prolific in T20s like ODIs earlier but, 2016 changed everything. In IPL 2016, he ended up scoring a humongous 973 runs and 4 tons! That still remains as the highest amount of runs scored in an IPL season!
He has hit 5 centuries in T20 and is the highest run-scorer in IPL with 5412 runs and T20 Internationals with 2689 runs at an average of 53 with 24 fifties! His highest score in T20 internationals is 94* and has missed out on the elusive three-figure mark more than once.
5Shane Watson: 6 Centuries
A burly, muscular and destructive opener who could chip in with overs and wickets when needed, Watson could give any player a run for his money, if in form. Already boasting a successful career in the shorter formats, he could have achieved much more, if not for numerous injuries. A batsman, who combined technique with immense power, Watson has smashed 6 centuries in T20 cricket and 4 of them are in IPL.
He was the driving force behind Australia’s run till the semis in the 2012 T20 World Cup with 249 runs and was the Man of the Tournament. At 38 years, he continues to ply his trade in franchise cricket leagues but his form is on the wane.
4Rohit Sharma: 6 Centuries
When someone is named “Hitman“, you cannot ignore him! Constantly in the contest with Virat Kohli for the highest scorer in T20s, he has 2633 runs and 6 centuries in T20s. He is a giant of the IPL, winning the title five times, once with the Deccan Chargers and four times with the Mumbai Indians.
Interestingly, he is the third-highest scorer of the tournament with 4898 runs. Rohit also holds some other unique records like, most hundreds in T20 internationals(4), the highest score in an ODI (264*), and most ODI double hundreds(3) in his kitty.
3Most centuries in T20: Brendan McCullum: 7 Centuries
Probably, the biggest talent in New Zealand cricket since Martin Crowe, Brendan McCullum could do everything except bowl. Built like a tank, but a live-wire on the field, McCullum was known for his explosive run-scoring and fast hands. A force to reckon with in all formats, T20s is where he was really unstoppable.
He has scored 7 T20 hundreds and amassed nearly 10000 runs in the format!. He boasts of a great IPL career, with 2 hundred, one being the 158* for KKR against RCB, which remains the second-highest score in IPL and third-highest in T20 history. McCullum also holds the record for the fastest test century(100 in 54 balls).
2Most centuries in T20: David Warner: 8 Centuries
The only words to summarise him – “Pocket-sized Dynamite”. Having never played a first-class match before making it to the national team and becoming the highest run-getter among foreigners in IPL (4,706) are just some achievements in his storied career.
A swashbuckling opener in T20s with 8 hundred and a strike rate of 142, he is equally successful in Tests. Having a dream debut, scoring 89 of 43 balls against South Africa and becoming one of the world’s best all-format opener and Australia’s Vice-captain, to being a part of the “SandPapergate Scandal”, his career has seen every high and low.
1Most centuries in T20: Chris Gayle: 22 Centuries
What is fear? If you don’t know, ask Ali Murtaza or Mitchell Marsh and they will say you “Chris Gayle”. It’s impossible to forget that innings when Gayle hit a monstrous 175* off 66 balls for RCB against Pune Warriors.
Yes, no other batsman has terrorized opposition bowlers in this decade of T20 cricket more than Chris Gayle. Tall, burly, and swinging his bat like a toothpick, Gayle has struck 22 tons, the most centuries in T20 cricket. That’s 14 more than his nearest rival David Warner (8).
Apart from that, he holds the batting record for almost everything in T20s :
- runs (13,175)
- matches played(401)
- most sixes(969)
- most fours(1,018).
