List: Cricketers with most T20 centuries

Personal milestones, today, may not really hold a lot of significance in T20 cricket considering how much the pace of the game has increased.

The format’s demands have changed. In an era where any total seems chaseable, quickfire knocks are mostly on the receiving end of more appreciation.  However, to get to an individual century in 20-over cricket is still a remarkable feat in itself, and more so if they come at a healthy strike rate.

On that note, let us have a look at List of cricketers with most T20 centuries:

Most Centuries in T20 Cricket

Most Centuries in T20 Cricket: Overview

Chris Gayle – 22 centuries

The cricketing world has not quite seen an opener as destructive as Christopher Henry Gayle. The left-handed batter is amongst the most feared batters ever, and a proper crowd entertainer. The Universe Boss has scored a staggering 22 centuries in T20 cricket, which is more than double the tally of the next player in this list. He became the first player ever to score a T20I century when he scored 117 in the first game of the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 against South Africa.

He took the Proteas by storm as he struck at over 200 in just the first game of the inaugural 20-over World Cup. However, West Indies went on to lose after they failed to defend 206. In a T20 career that traces its origins all the way back to 2005, Chris Gayle has scored a mind-boggling 14,562 runs, while no other player has scored even 13,000.

The swashbuckling opener crossed the 50-run mark on 110 different occasions in the format, and converted 22 of those into centuries. He has smashed over a thousand sixes in the format averaging over 2.32 sixes per innings, a feat which is unlikely to be matched or broken by anyone on this planet. Only three other cricketers have hit 500 sixes or more in T20s, which goes on to prove how incredible an achievement it is to hit 1,056 sixes.

Gayle also holds the record for the highest individual score in T20 history. He alone scored an unbelievable 175 runs off only 66 deliveries against Pune Warriors India in the 2013 edition of the Indian Premier League, which is usually a par score for teams in the entirety of the 20-over quota.

Babar Azam – 10 centuries

Although many would argue that the 20-over format is not particularly his best owing to his strike rates that look mediocre for today’s standards, Babar Azam still makes it to the list with 10 centuries in T20 cricket already. He may not be one of those batters than can go big from the very first ball. However, once he is set, he has the potential to accelerate and pace his innings to perfection.

The right-handed batter has slowly worked his way up to become one of the best all-format players in the world. Babar has hit a little less than 1,000 fours in T20s, and when he does touch the 1,000-mark, he would become only the 8th batter to hit a thousand fours in the format’s history.

His latest ton came in the Lanka Premier League playing for the Colombo Strikers. Chasing 189 against the Galle Titans, Babar scored a match-winning 104 off 59 deliveries and bagged the Player of the Match award. In the greens of Pakistan, he has scored three centuries.

Earlier this year, he scored an unbeaten 101 against New Zealand at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Overall, Babar has already amassed the 50-run mark 87 times in T20 cricket, and has converted 10 of them into hundreds. He averages a score of 50 or more every 2.93 innings in T20 cricket, and there is certainly a lot more to come from the 28-year old Pakistani batter.

Virat Kohli – 8 centuries

A modern-day cricketing legend – Virat Kohli – makes it to the list of most centuries in T20 cricket with 8 tons in the 20-over format; 4 of them coming in a single season of the Indian Premier League. His first and only century in T20Is came in September last year at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, when he finally ended what was a 3-year wait for his 71st international century across formats.

Although his unbeaten 122 against Afghanistan came a little too late for India after they were already knocked out of the Asia Cup, it still managed to give back loads of confidence to the star batter who had the worst lean patch of his career not too long before that. After being asked to bat first by Afghanistan in a dead-rubber, Kohli scored a phenomenal 122 and brought an end to what was a 1021-day century drought.

In the IPL, Kohli touched a peak and reached heights that will, most likely, never be replicated again. He scored 4 centuries in the 2016 edition of the league and bagged an unbelievable 973 runs in the campaign at an average of over 81.

Having been pushed out of India’s T20I setup after the T20 World Cup in 2022, Kohli made a strong statement and proved his mettle in the format after scoring incredible back-to-back centuries against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans in this year’s IPL.

Aaron Finch – 8 centuries

Aaron Finch, who retired from international cricket earlier this year, has 8 T20 centuries to his name. The right-handed batter was a powerful hitter of the ball, and on his day, he was absolutely unstoppable. While he scored two T20I centuries for Australia, he also led his side to their first ever Men’s T20 World Cup title in 2021. He captained Australia in a record 76 T20Is.

Finch’s first international ton in the format came over 10 years ago, in August, 2013. Opening the innings against England in Southampton, the batter smashed the very first ball that he faced for a massive six. That was a sign of what was about to come. It was sheer carnage that followed as Finch scored a mind-boggling 156 runs on his own.

He got to his 50, 100 and 150 with a six each, and cleared the ropes an unbelievable 14 times in his knock. It took him just 63 deliveries to score 156, and 128 of those runs came in boundaries alone. Only Hazratullah Zazai has scored more runs from fours and sixes in a single T20 innings. Finch walked back to the pavilion after a breathtaking knock to a standing ovation from the Southampton crowd.

About five years later, he himself bettered the record as he bagged a mammoth 172 against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club, which is the highest ever individual score in a T20I game. Those two knocks are the best possible examples of the damage Finch was capable of inflicting upon the opposition at his very best.

In retrospect, Finch will be seen as one of the most prolific player to have played the T20 cricket. Hence, it doesn’t come as a surprise to see him on the list of most centuries scored by a player in T20 Cricket.

David Warner – 8 centuries

Standing at 5 feet 7 inches tall, David Warner has been one of the best T20 batters around the globe over the years. The left-handed batter is a seasoned campaigner in the format, with over 175 IPL caps and 99 appearances for Australia in T20Is. While he is more than capable of playing explosive cameos up the order, he also possesses the ability to provide stability in times of crisis and accelerate when the situation allows, making him a true asset to have in 20-over cricket.

Warner has consistently won games for his sides in T20 cricket, and in the process, he has scored 8 centuries in the format. For Australia, his solitary ton in T20Is came against Sri Lanka in 2019. He remained unbeaten on 100 and helped Australia post a mammoth total of 229 on the board. Unsurprisingly, he won the Player of the Match award – a feat he has achieved on 11 different occasions for Australia in T20Is and 18 times in the Indian Premier League.

He has also amassed the 100-run mark twice in his IPL career. Moreover, Warner has over 4,000 IPL runs to his name at a phenomenal average of almost 50 across 95 games in the league. Among players to have played at least 45 IPL games, nobody averages better than Warner in the tournament’s history. Currently, the Australian legend is one fifty away from completing a century of fifties in the format, while also having 8 hundreds to his name. 

FAQs

Who has most century in T20 Cricket?

Chris Gayle of West Indies has scored most centuries in T20 cricket with 22 to his name. Interestingly, Gayle was also the first batter to smash a century in T20 cricket and holds the record for highest individual total in the T20 format.

How many century has Chris Gayle scored in T20 Cricket?

Chris Gayle has a total of 22 centuries in T20 cricket. Out of which just 2 centuries have come in the Internationals, while 20 centuries have been scored in franchise cricket.

How many centuries has Virat Kohli scored in T20 cricket?

Virat Kohli of India has scored a total of 8 centuries in T20 cricket. Out of which only 1 century came in international cricket, while rest 7 have been scored in IPL.