The fastest ton in ODI cricket, from the first major knock to AB de Villiers’ magic

The year 2021 will mark 50 years of playing One Day Internationals. ODIs have gone on to revolutionise the game of cricket. However, it needs power and quick scoring also like Twenty20 Internationals. When a player hits an ODI century, it is a tremendous accomplishment. When he scores it very quickly, then it is a phenomenal feat.

The first instance of the fastest century came in 1982. Zaheer Abbas of Pakistan hit 105 off 79 balls against India in Lahore. The knock included one four and eight sixes. Six years later, in 1988, Mohammad Azharuddin hit a century off just 62 balls against New Zealand in Baroda. That record held for eight years before Shahid Afridi blasted a 37-ball century against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996.

From tons to double tons

In the modern era, the boundaries of power-hitting have been pushed remarkably. Double centuries are also possible in ODIs. Sachin Tendulkar hit the first double ton for men’s cricket in 2010 against South Africa in Gwalior. Since then, Martin Guptill, Rohit Sharma, Chris Gayle, Virender Sehwag and Fakhar Zaman of Pakistan have hit double tons. Remarkably, Rohit has hit three double tons, including a magnificent 264 against Sri Lanka in Kolkata in 2014. This remains the highest score in ODI cricket.

This has also resulted in the evolution of fastest tons. Kevin O’Brien hit a century off just 50 balls against England in the 2011 World Cup campaign. That was the fastest in a World Cup. Virat Kohli of India smashed a century off just 52 balls against Australia in 2013. This remains the fastest by an Indian. However, when it comes to the quickest hundreds, one particular individual outshines every other player.

AB de Villiers, the magic of 360 degrees

When Shahid Afridi hit a century off just 37 balls, he had broken the record set by Sanath Jayasuriya. The Sri Lankan hit a 48-ball century against Pakistan in Singapore in 1996. Afridi’s record stood for 17 years until New Year’s Day on 2014. On January 1, Corey Anderson hit a century off just 36 balls vs West Indies to break the all-time record.

But, Anderson’s record would stand for only 382 days for in January 2015, AB de Villiers would create history. In the Pink ODI against West Indies in Johannesburg, de Villiers unleashed brutality and clinically destroyed the West Indies. De Villiers notched up a fifty off just 15 balls, breaking the record of 16 set by Jayasuriya. de Villiers reached a century off just 31 balls, bettering Anderson’s mark by five balls.

In the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup against the West Indies in Sydney, de Villiers blasted a 150 off 62 balls. De Villiers held the record for the fastest fifty, fastest century and fastest 150 in ODI cricket. This feat might never be repeated again in cricket, unless there is another Mr. 360 like de Villiers.