This has made the so-called art of scoring a century from what used to be a show of endurance into an exhibition of explosive batting in the electrifying arena of One Day International cricket, where every delivery can change the momentum dramatically. The modern age witnessed some of the most stunning batting displays and the elite class of cricketers revolutionized approaches to the much-desired mark of three figures. Ironically, in a twist, it is the batting records and feats of Indian cricket sensation Rohit Sharma, who have been in praise for exquisite stroke play and scoring big, that place him out of the list of the Fastest Centuries in ODI Cricket history. This is an inspiring list of innings where batsmen have flouted orthodox batting wisdom, proof that in modern cricket, it can be just as quick as it is glorious to get to a century. Who Scored the Fastest Centuries in ODI Cricket? Rank Player Country Balls Taken Final Score Opposition Venue Year 1 AB de Villiers South Africa 31 149 West Indies Johannesburg 2015 2 Corey Anderson New Zealand 36 131* West Indies Queenstown 2014 3 Shahid Afridi Pakistan 37 102 Sri Lanka Nairobi 1996 4 Glenn Maxwell Australia 40 106 Netherlands New Delhi 2023 5 Asif Khan UAE 41 101 Nepal Kirtipur 2023 6 Mark Boucher South Africa 44 147 Zimbabwe Potchefstroom 2006 7 Brian Lara West Indies 45 117 Bangladesh Dhaka 1999 8 Shahid Afridi Pakistan 45 102 India Kanpur 2005 9 Jesse Ryder New Zealand 46 104 West Indies Queenstown 2014 10 Jos Buttler England 46 116 Pakistan Dubai 2015 Detailed Analysis of Fastest Centuries in ODI Cricket AB de Villiers (31 balls) - South Africa Image Source : Getty Images As of now, cricket's most explosive batting display remains unbeaten as on January 18, 2015, it was an exhibition by AB de Villiers, who turned the Johannesburg ground into his playground. Against the West Indies, he led an orchestration of innovative shots, leaving everyone bewildered, including the spectators and the opponents. His 149-run masterpiece included an astonishing 16 sixes and 9 fours, showcasing something different for the game as he seems to find gaps that no one could even imagine. What made that innings special was, quite simply, de Villiers's trademark versatility from conventional cricket shots to his reverse sweeps and paddle scoops that modern batting offers. The innings was more about precision and timing, which blended orthodoxy with innovation to perfection. Also Read | Fastest ODI Centuries by Indian Players: Top 10 Blazing Innings Corey Anderson (36 balls) - New Zealand Image Source : Getty Images Corey Anderson defines explosive batting for New Zealand on New Year's Day 2014 in a rain-shortened match at Queenstown. He smashed a 21-over match unbeaten 131 against West Indies, breaking the long-standing record of Shahid Afridi. Anderson's innings was a masterclass in clean hitting, with 14 towering sixes and 6 fours. What made this achievement even more remarkable was the match context – New Zealand were pushing for a competitive total in a shortened game, and Anderson's blitz helped them post an imposing 283/4. The left-hander's brutal hitting, especially down the leg side, showed an enormous amount of power and the ability to maintain a remarkably high strike rate through most of his innings. Shahid Afridi (37 balls) - Pakistan Image Source : AFP In his second ODI, and first batting innings, Shahid Afridi announced himself to international cricket with an innings that would define his career philosophy. On October 4, 1996, at Nairobi, the young Pakistani all-rounder let loose a blitzkrieg on the Sri Lankan bowling attack that had 11 sixes and 6 fours to his credit for 102 runs. What makes this innings special is the context – Afridi was basically selected as a leg-spinner and was promoted up the order as a pinch-hitter. This innings not only defined his future batting but also tagged him with the name "Boom Boom." Raw aggression and fearlessness with the bat by then teenager became the hallmark of his illustrious career. Glenn Maxwell (40 balls) - Australia Image Source : Getty Images Glenn Maxwell was in absolute smash mode at the 2023 World Cup in New Delhi, displaying exactly why he is known as "The Big Show" in the match against the Netherlands. His 106-run innings off just 44 balls included 9 boundaries and 8 sixes, which set a new record for the fastest World Cup century. Maxwell's innings was distinguished for his trademark innovative stroke play, including reverse sweeps and switch hits which literally blew a hole in the opposition's bowling plans. What made this innings outstanding was that it was implemented at the greatest platform of World Cup, which heightens the pressure to new levels. And all-around strokeplay coupled with exceptional hand-eye coordination made it one of the greatest batting spectacles in World Cup history. Asif Khan (41 balls) - UAE Image Source : Getty Images A mesmerizing display of power-hitting on 16 March 2023, UAE's Asif Khan not only etched his name into cricket history but also carved his name, while playing against Nepal, in Kirtipur. His match-winning innings of 101 had 11 sixes and 4 fours-to prove that the associate nations, too can match the performance given by the elite nations. What made this victory so brilliant is that it was in a vital qualification match. He proved that Asif can carry himself well under pressure. His innings was hitting clean and very intelligent shot selection in which explosive batting wasn't only restricted to cricket's power houses. The innings led to a spotlight on UAE cricket and the associate nations' talent depth. Mark Boucher (44 balls) - South Africa Image Source : AFP Mark Boucher of South Africa showcased his batting skills in an unorthodox knock of 147 not out in Potchefstroom against Zimbabwe on September 20, 2006. His innings of 10 sixes and 8 fours highlighted the perfect power and precision of the batsman. The fact that this was the innings coming from a wicketkeeper batsman proved explosive batting is not limited to just the specialist batsmen. This innings by Boucher did not send the field anywhere as he thrashed his century off just 44 balls. Of course, it was a memorable inning for any wicket keeper batsman in the history of ODIs, not only for his clearance of boundaries but also some smart running for boundaries. Brian Lara (45 balls) - West Indies Image Source : Reuter The great Brian Lara showed his class with a brilliant 117 against Bangladesh in Dhaka on October 9, 1999. His innings, containing 4 sixes and 18 fours, was a perfect display of classic stroke play combined with aggressive intent. What makes this innings special is that it came from a batsman known more for his elegant timing than brutal power. Lara's effort is remarkable for technical perfection – although others on this list relied greatly on big hits, his innings was full of boundaries along the ground, indicating excellent placement and timing. The Prince of Trinidad proved that quick scoring could be achieved through cricket shots executed with precision and finesse. Shahid Afridi (45 balls) - Pakistan Image Source : Getty Images Yet once again, here is Afridi coming to set some scintillating cricket again, marking his second hundred at Kanpur on April 15, 2005 while playing against India. A 102 run attack consisting of 9 sixes and 10 fours would never have been of special significance were it not the history and passion that exists in the relationship of these two teams. As compared to the first entry here, this came at a time when Afridi was an international superstar and yet continued to play match-winning cricket against top attacks. This was an innings very characteristic of Afridi's batting – fearless hitting from the word go, and with a particular fondness for launching spinners into the stands. The ability to repeat such explosive performances years apart is unique and speaks to Afridi's game-changing innings. Jesse Ryder (46 balls) - New Zealand Image Source : AFP On the same day as Corey Anderson's record-breaking innings, Jesse Ryder also crafted his own masterpiece against the West Indies in Queenstown. His innings of 104 runs, replete with 5 sixes and 12 fours, displayed his natural batting talent and clean hitting ability. What makes this innings special is the fact that it came in the same match when Anderson scored the fastest century he ever made for England, in a match making a bit of cricketing history. Ryder hit with such aggressiveness off side that he went through excellent timing and managed to find gaps around the field quite frequently. He proved how difficult it can get for any left-handed batsman to take command of the bowlers when batting at full capacity. Jos Buttler (46 balls) - England Image Source : Getty Images The list finally completes with the innovative wicket-keeper batsman from England, Jos Buttler, and his spectacular 116 not out for Pakistan in Dubai on November 20, 2015. His innings, decorated with 8 sixes and 10 fours, presented his unique capability of merging the normal with the unexpected shots. What made Buttler's innings special was his excellent use of crease and ability to score 360 degrees around the ground. His trademark scoop shots and ramp shots plus good old-fashioned powerful hitting made this innings a classic example of modern batting innovation, and coming as it did in subcontinent conditions makes it all the more impressive. Also Read | Top 5 Fastest Test Centuries Scored by Indian Batsmen Conclusion These remarkable achievements represent the evolution of ODI batting, where boundaries have become more frequent and scoring rates have skyrocketed. The absence of certain prominent names, including Rohit Sharma, demonstrates that the ability to score quick centuries isn't necessarily correlated with overall batting greatness. Instead, these innings represent perfect storms where timing, conditions, opposition, and sheer audacity aligned to create magical moments in cricket history.