Who Scored a Century in Just 3 Overs?
The cricket global loves improbable stories—a few real, a few exaggerated, and some completely made-up. Among them, one viral query keeps circulating on social media:
“Who scored a century in just 3 overs?”
At first glance, this appears stunning and nearly not possible. 100 runs in just 18 balls? Even if every ball turned into smashed for 6, the maximum theoretical rating in 18 criminal deliveries is:
18 balls × 6 runs = 108 runs
So technically, it ought to occur. But did all and sundry actually score a century in 3 overs?
Let’s dig deep and discover the records, myths, real records, validated suits, and the whole thing round this viral cricket query.
1. Introduction: Why This Question Went Viral
Cricket fans are passionate, emotional, and extremely active on social media. Every now and then, a “miracle-like” claim surfaces on line. The query “Who scored a century in just 3 overs?” gained huge interest due to the fact:
- It sounds improbable but technically viable
- Short-layout cricket (T20, T10, T6) has pushed obstacles
- Batters are hitting bigger and faster than ever
- Social media spreads myths faster than information
- People revel in first rate facts
Let’s examine the fact grade by grade.
2. Can a Batter Really Score a hundred Runs in 3 Overs? (Theoretical Analysis)
Before searching for actual examples, first understand the mathematics.
Maximum felony runs possible in three overs:
- 1 over = 6 balls
- three overs = 18 balls
- Maximum in line with ball = 6 runs
Maximum: 18 balls × 6 = 108 runs
So it is theoretically feasible for a batter to reach a hundred in 18 balls.
But…
Cricket isn’t just mathematics.
There are a couple of sensible limitations:
- Field regulations
- Bowling first-class
- Pressure
- Probability
- Strike rotation problems
- Extras like wides/no-balls may assist, however nevertheless not likely
Even the finest hitters in history—Chris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh, Glenn Maxwell—have in no way scored a century in three overs.
3. Viral WhatsApp & Social Media Claims
In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and several cricket-loving nations, social media customers regularly create dramatic cricket claims, inclusive of:
- “A batsman scored a hundred in 3 overs.”
- “A boy from a small village hit 39 sixes in 17 balls.”
- “World document century in 12 balls.”
- “Fastest fifty in five balls.”
Most of these flow into without:
- Scorecards
- Match movies
- Umpire verification
- Tournament info
These are usually neighborhood tennis-ball matches in which scores are exaggerated.
4. The Real Answer: Did Anyone Score a Century in 3 Overs?
❌ Official cricket answer:
NO. Nobody has scored a century in only 3 overs in any legitimate cricket healthy.
❌ No player inside the international has:
- Scored a hundred runs in 18 balls
- Scored a hundred runs within three overs
- Scored a hundred runs in any recognized, tested, officially documented healthy in that time span
❌ No ICC, BCCI, PCB, ECB, CA, CSA, or any legitimate board acknowledges this sort of report.
What about unofficial cricket?
There are tales from:
- Tennis ball tournaments
- Local gully cricket
- Small village competitions
- Unregistered leagues
Some players declare to have hit:
- 24-ball hundreds
- 12-ball fifties
- 18-ball 100s
But none of these have reliable documentation.
5. Shortest and Fastest Centuries in Official Cricket
If not 3 overs, then what’s the fastest reliable century?
Here are the REAL demonstrated quickest centuries:
6. Players Known for Extraordinary Hitting
Some cricketers well-known for explosive batting performances consist of:
- Chris Gayle
- AB de Villiers
- Glenn Maxwell
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Yuvraj Singh (Six sixes in an over)
- Hazratullah Zazai
- Rohit Sharma
- Shahid Afridi
- David Miller
But even those legends have in no way scored a century inside 3 overs.
7. Fastest a century in T20 Cricket – Verified Records
Fastest T20 Hundred (Official)
| Rank | Player | Balls Taken | Opposition | Format/League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Gayle | 30 balls | Pune Warriors | IPL |
| 2 | Rishabh Pant | 32 balls | Himachal Pradesh | Syed Mushtaq Ali |
| 3 | David Miller | 35 balls | Bangladesh | International |
| 4 | Rohit Sharma | 35 balls | Sri Lanka | International |
| 5 | Sudesh Wickramasekara | 35 balls | Turkey | T20I |
None of these come anywhere near 18 balls.
8. Fastest 100 in ODI, List-A & Tests
Fastest ODI Hundred
| Player | Balls | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| AB de Villiers | 31 balls | West Indies |
Fastest Test Hundred
| Player | Balls | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Brendon McCullum | 54 balls | Australia |
Fastest List-A Hundred
| Player | Balls | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| AB de Villiers | 31 | West Indies |
Again, nobody reached even near a 3-over century.
9. Biggest Over Records in Cricket
Sometimes batters rating distinctly excessive in a single over. These are the closest examples that inspire myths like “3-overs century”.
Highest Runs in a Single Over (Official Cricket)
| Runs | Player | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Yuvraj Singh | T20I (6 sixes in 6 balls) |
| 36 | Herschelle Gibbs | ODI |
| 35 | James Fuller | County Cricket |
| 32–33 runs | Multiple players | Various formats |
If a batter ratings 36 runs in step with over continually:
- 36 × 3 = 108 runs
- So mathematically a 3-over century is feasible
But nobody has ever maintained this for all 3 overs.
10. Unverified Local Cricket Stories
Many viral testimonies point out gamers in:
- West Bengal tennis ball tournaments
- Pakistan’s Mohalla cricket
- Maharashtra’s night tournaments
- KPL (nearby)
- Tape ball cricket in Karachi
- Village cricket in Bihar, UP, Tamil Nadu
Some names often seem:
- Junaid Khan (tape ball)
- Haris Tiger
- Salman Khan (nearby cricketer, now not the actor)
- Raghu of Hyderabad tennis cricket
But once more, there’s no video, no official scorecard, no umpire document.
These remain unverified.
11. Why People Believe These Impossible Records
There are numerous motives:
✔ Short-format cricket has modified expectancies
Players hit extra sixes than ever.
✔ Social media exaggerates
WhatsApp forwards regularly point out impossible feats.
✔ No governing body for local tournaments
Local cricket matches lack authentic scoring.
✔ Human fascination with intense overall performance
Fans love extraordinary testimonies.
12. Comparative Table of Fastest Centuries (All Formats)
Official Fastest Centuries – All Formats
| Format | Player | Balls | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20 | Chris Gayle | 30 | Pune Warriors (IPL) | 2013 |
| T20I | Sudesh Wickramasekara | 35 | Turkey | 2019 |
| ODI | AB de Villiers | 31 | West Indies | 2015 |
| Test | Brendon McCullum | 54 | Australia | 2016 |
| T10 | Mohammad Shahzad | 16 (Unofficial) | NA | NA |
| Local/Unofficial | Multiple claims | 18–20 balls | NA | NA |
None shows a 3-over century.
13. Final Conclusion
❌ No participant in legit cricket records has ever scored a century in just 3 overs.
❌ It remains a delusion, normally pushed with the aid of social media exaggeration.
✔ Theoretically possible? Yes.
✔ Practically carried out? No.
But cricket is unpredictable. With codecs like T10, T5, and The Hundred, destiny explosive statistics might also surprise the world.
Until then, the 3-over century remains a viral net myth, not a identified cricket success.
14. FAQs
1. Is a three-over century possible in real cricket?
Mathematically yes, but almost unachieved.
2. Who holds the quickest respectable 100 in cricket?
Chris Gayle – 30 balls (T20).
AB de Villiers – 31 balls (ODI).
3. Has any participant hit a hundred runs in 18 balls?
No formally documented record exists.
4. Where did the rumor begin?
Mostly WhatsApp and nearby cricket organizations.
5. Can a T10 healthy see a three-over century?
Possibly in the future with incredible hitting.
