The first eliminator between the Rajasthan Royals and the Sunrisers Hyderabad was nothing short of cinema. When the young prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi came to bat, nobody could have thought that this innings was about to come this close to breaking the fastest century in IPL history. While his innings were cut short at 97 off 29 balls, it left viewers thinking about the fastest century in IPL history. Let's find out about some of the greatest knocks of all time that lifted the bar of the IPL in the game of cricket.
Chris Gayle: 100 in 30 deliveries
The Universe Boss's power-hitting ability enables him to build a huge inning with very few deliveries. While batting for RCB against the Pune Warriors on 28 April 2013, in Bengaluru, he showcased a similar explosive inning where it took only 30 balls for him to complete the century. A record that is unbeaten till today. Capitalising on that innings, he did not stop at a century and went on to score the highest individual knock of 175, which is also unbeaten.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: 100 in 35 deliveries
While chasing the huge total of 209 against the Gujarat Titans on April 28, 2025, in Jaipur, Rajasthan required a very dynamic start from their openers. Accepting the job, the 14-year-old boy stepped onto the ground without any idea that this innings would place him among the very few cricketers to hit the fastest century. With 11 sixes and 7 fours, it took him only 35 balls to complete his century, making him the youngest centurion and the future emerging star of the game.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: 100 in 36 deliveries
Vaibhav continues his form into next year's (2026) IPL and scores another quick century in just 36 balls—one more than his previous fastest century. Playing against SRH on 25 April 2026 in Jaipur, the Royals came to bat first, where Suryavanshi already clarified his intent by brutally hitting balls out of the boundary in the initial overs. Completing his half-century in just 15 balls, it took him only another 21 balls to complete the century. This innings reinforces his standing as a future star who continuously showcases his good form.
Yusuf Pathan: 100 in 37 deliveries
It was the match between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians, where Mumbai posted a daunting total of 212 runs in 20 overs. Rajasthan did not start well and was struggling at 66-4 after nine overs, with 146 runs required off just 64 balls—a target that seemed almost impossible to chase. But Yusuf Pathan had very different ideas. He smashed the MI bowlers all over the ground, hitting huge sixes and fearless boundaries, reaching his century in just 37 balls with 9 fours and 8 sixes. Shane Warne, the Rajasthan Royals captain, described it as the best innings he had seen in his 21-year career. The knock ultimately fell agonisingly short, with Mumbai clinching the match by just 4 runs, but Pathan's innings had already cemented its place in T20 folklore.
David Miller: 100 in 38 deliveries
Miller's 38-ball century resurrected Kings XI Punjab from 64 for 4 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2013 and was chiefly responsible for a 99-run blaze off the last five overs of the chase, ensuring his side pulled off a grand coup against a team studded with superstars. He managed a total of eight fours and seven sixes, completing his century and the win with a massive six off Chris Gayle in the last ball of the 18th over. What made this innings truly extraordinary was the context: from a situation where KXIP were going nowhere in their run chase, they ended up winning with two overs to spare. Virat Kohli himself called it one of the best innings anyone had ever seen in the IPL—high praise coming from a man who had just watched his own team's 190 being chased down with ease.
Final Thought
From Chris Gayle's otherworldly 30-ball blitz in 2013 to Vaibhav Suryavanshi's back-to-back demolitions across two IPL seasons, these innings are not just records on a scorecard—they are moments that redefined what is possible in T20 cricket. What makes this list so compelling is that every single inning on it came under pressure, with something at stake. Yusuf Pathan nearly overturned the impossible, David Miller single-handedly rewrote a match, and a 14-year-old from Bihar took on international bowlers with zero fear. The IPL has always been a stage that manufactures legends quickly, but these knocks belong to a different category entirely. They remind us why the format continues to grow in scale and spectacle—and why every ball of every game carries the potential to make history.
