IPL 2017: Top 5 fastest centuries in IPL history
The cherished three-figure mark in cricket is a prized achievement in any format. A hundred in a T20, however, requires some special effort. A mere 120 balls for the whole team means that the batsman will have a have a no-holds-barred approach while holding his composure through all the frenzy.
Nine seasons of the IPL has seen a total of 42 centuries. Below are the five gentlemen who smashed the five fastest centuries in the history of the tournament:
#5 AB de Villiers (42 balls) vs Gujarat Lions, 2016
While IPL 2016 belonged to Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers proved to the ideal helping hand, scoring runs heavily to complement the Indian skipper. Their camaraderie, both on and off the field, is well documented, and reached new heights when the duo stitched a massive 229-run partnership, the biggest ever in the tournament.
The start was steady, with a scratchy looking Chris Gayle departing in the fourth over itself. It proved to be a blessing in disguise, for a fluent de Villiers started firing from the word go. He targeted the spin combo of Shivil Kaushik and Pravin Tambe to start with, and extended the treatment to Ravindra Jadeja and Praveen Kumar. He reached his fifty in just 25 balls, and Brendon McCullum was left scratching his head.
The duo changed gears after the 16th over, and the Gujarat Lions became mere spectators. Kohli reached from 50 to 100 in just 13 balls, and de Villiers ended on 129 off 52 balls.