AB de Villiers (L) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (R) (Source: X/AFP)
In 2015, it was the second ODI of the five-match series between South Africa and the West Indies in South Africa when AB de Villiers rewrote history with his explosive batting.
The then-Proteas skipper registered his name in the history books for smashing the fastest ODI century, surpassing New Zealand’s Corey Anderson. De Villiers completed his century off just 31 balls and ended up scoring 149 runs off just 44 balls, with nine fours and 16 sixes.
AB de Villiers’ record for the fastest ODI century remains unbroken 11 years after he achieved it. Therefore, here’s a look at the 5 players who can break AB de Villiers’ record of fastest ODI 100.
5 Players who can break AB de Villiers’ record of fastest ODI 100
Vaibhav Suryavanshi - India
India’s teenage batting sensation, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, has stunned everyone with his amazing batting performances in List-A cricket. He also headlined the cricketing corridors for smashing the fastest Youth ODI century off just 52 balls against England U19.
In this game against England, Suryavanshi scored 143 runs off just 78 balls, with 13 fours and 10 sixes.
Besides that, he achieved the milestone of the second-fastest U19 century with his swashbuckling 171-run knock off just 95 balls against the UAE U19 in the Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025. So, the 14-year-old seems to have the potential to break De Villiers’ record of fastest ODI ton.
Harry Brook - England
The England skipper and dynamic middle-order batter, Harry Brook, is in a brilliant run of form with the bat. He recently displayed an amazing outing against Sri Lanka in the third ODI of the recently concluded three-match series.
He completed his century off just 57 balls and ended up playing an unbeaten knock of 136 runs off just 66 balls, with 11 fours and nine sixes. Brook is known for accelerating his power-hitting after completing the first 50 runs.
Hence, he also has a knack for scoring the fastest ODI century, surpassing the former Proteas legend, AB de Villiers.
Yashasvi Jaiswal - India
The young India opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal, has been impressive with his batting performances across all formats. However, he has had very few ODIs to his name owing to the stable options for India in Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma.
Nonetheless, Jaiswal is expected to continue regularly in ODIs for India after the former skipper Rohit Sharma hangs up his boots after the ODI World Cup 2027. In the four ODIs he has played, Jaiswal has scored 171 runs in 4 innings, with a brilliant average of 57.00 and a century.
Speaking of Jaiswal’s List-A career, he has scored 1,746 runs in 39 innings at an outstanding average of 51.34, with six centuries and seven half-centuries. It also includes his List-A double century (203 runs off just 154 balls) against Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2019.
The young southpaw can also be the one to break AB de Villiers’ record of the fastest century in ODIs.
Travis Head - Australia
The star Australia opener, Travis Head, has been in the headlines for his swashbuckling form across all formats of the game. In the ODIs, he is the leading run-scorer for Australia since the ODI World Cup 2023 concluded.
From the World Cup 2023 till now, Head has scored 614 runs in 15 innings at an average of 47.23, hitting two centuries and a half-century. Besides that, he was a central figure in Australia’s sixth ODI World Cup win with a decisive century against India in the final of the 2023 edition.
Head’s explosive batting approach backs his contention among the top five batters who can achieve the record of scoring the fastest ODI century, surpassing AB de Villiers.
Jos Buttler - England
The former England skipper and the blistering middle-order batter, Jos Buttler, has a reputation as a player who can accelerate the innings at will. Out of his 11 ODI centuries, two unbeaten centuries are among the fastest centuries he has scored in his ODI career.
These two centuries Buttler smashed are still the top two fastest ODI centuries by an English batter. In the Dubai ODI against Pakistan in 2015, he scored an unbeaten 116, hitting his century off just 46 balls.
Seven years later, in 2022, in his unbeaten knock of 162 runs against the Netherlands, Buttler completed a century off just 47 balls. Therefore, the swashbuckling English batter can break De Villiers’ fastest ODI century record sooner or later.
