Blast from the past: Top 5 centuries in T20 World Cups
Twenty20 – the shortest and the most entertaining format of the game of cricket has been constantly making headlines ever since its inception at the international level in 2005. On September 11 2007, the first match of the inaugural Men’s T20 World Cup was played between West Indies and South Africa. At that point of time, nobody knew that the tournament would gain humongous popularity among cricket fans.
Representing one’s country in a World Cup is a surreal feeling for any cricketer across the globe. What makes this feeling more ethereal is scoring a century and taking your team close to victory. As the ICC T20 World Cup competes 13 years, let’s flip back the pages and take a look at some of the stunning centuries in the tournament.
Chris Gayle vs South Africa, 2007
West Indies power-hitter Chris Gayle had a dream start in the maiden edition of the T20 World Cup. West Indies and South Africa locked horns against each other in the first fixture of the 2007 tournament. Batting first, Gayle smashed a staggering ton (117) in just 57 balls to take his team’s total to 205. The ‘Universe Boss’ played at a strike rate of 205.26 with 7 fours and 10 sixes in his brilliant knock.
Suresh Raina vs South Africa, 2010
The only Indian to score a century in both T20 and ODI World Cups, Suresh Raina brought up his maiden T20 World Cup century against South Africa in 2010. India racked up a score of 186 at the loss of 5 wickets owing to the incredible 100 by Raina. The southpaw played smashed 101 including 9 fours and 5 sixes in 60 balls while maintaining a strike rate of 168.33. Raina’s brilliant batting helped India clinch the match by 14 runs.
Brendon Mccullum vs Bangladesh, 2012
New Zealand Stalwart Brendon McCullum holds the record for the highest individual score in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. In a match against Bangladesh, McCullum played a remarkable innings of 123 off 58 balls. The wicketkeeper-batsman smashed 11 fours and 7 sixes in his knock to maintain a strike rate of 212.07. The efforts by Baz helped New Zealand start their World Cup campaign with a whopping 59-run victory.
Alex Hales vs Sri Lanka, 2014
Chasing 190 against Sri Lanka in the 2014 edition, England had a rough start as they lost their two crucial wickets cheaply in the first over. This is when Alex Hales stepped in as he shattered the opposition with his 116. The right-handed batsman brought up his maiden T20 World Cup century in merely 64 balls by hitting 11 fours and 6 sixes. This player of the match knock by Hales helped England win the match by six wickets.
Chris Gayle vs England, 2016
Apart from being the first cricketer to score a century in the T20 World Cup, Chris Gayle also has the record of smashing the fastest century under his belt. Chasing a target of 183 against England in the 2016 T20 Cup, Gayle played a fiery innings of 100* in just 48 balls with the help of 5 fours and 11 sixes. Owing to the splendid show by the Jamaica-born, the Caribbeans registered victory by 6 wickets.
