Sri Lanka won the 1996 World Cup under the leadership of Arjuna Ranatunga. And that was the time when the growth in the Sri Lankan cricket took boost up and many big superstars came to the rank. Sri Lankan batters are world-renowned for scoring centuries and big centuries in this game. But there have been a few occasions when these batters went on to score a century at a quicker pace.
That’s what we will cover in this article: the list of Sri Lankan batters who have scored the fastest century for their country in 50-over cricket. Scoring quick runs for Sri Lanka, one name certainly comes to mind, which is Sanath Jayasuriya, and he is at the top.
Fastest Century in ODI by Sri Lanka
| Batter | Balls | Score | Against | Venue | Date |
| Sanath Jaysuriya | 48 | 134 (65) | Pakistan | Singapore | 02/04/1996 |
| Sanath Jaysuriya | 55 | 130 (88) | Bangladesh | Karachi | 30/06/2008 |
| Thisara Perera | 57 | 140 (74) | New Zealand | Mount Manganui | 04/01/2019 |
| Sanath Jaysuriya | 64 | 157 (104) | Netherlands | Amstelveen | 04/07/2006 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan | 70 | 117* (78) | Netherlands | Amstelveen | 04/07/2006 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 70 | 117* (86) | England | Wellington | 01/03/2015 |
| Sanath Jaysuriya | 72 | 108 (83) | Bangladesh | Colombo | 22/07/1997 |
| Sanath Jaysuriya | 72 | 152 (99) | England | Leeds | 01/07/2006 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 73 | 105* (76) | India | Rajkot | 15/12/2009 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan | 73 | 160 (124) | Bangladesh | Melbourne | 26/02/2015 |
5. Tillakaratne Dilshan (117 not out) – 70 balls vs Netherlands
Former all-rounder Tillakaratne Dilshan has hit Sri Lanka’s fifth-fastest ODI century. It came against the Netherlands in July 2006 at Amstelveen. This was a record-breaking game for Sri Lanka. They batted first and scored their highest ODI total of 443/9 in their 50 overs. Sanath Jayasuriya made 157 off 104 balls, and Dilshan scored a 70-ball century. He scored an unbeaten 117 off 78 balls with 15 fours and two sixes. In response, Netherlands got dismissed for 248 runs and lost by a margin of 195 runs.
4. Sanath Jayasuriya (157 runs) – 64 balls vs Netherlands
In the same game in which Dilshan scored the fifth-fastest ODI century off 70 balls, Sanath Jayasuriya also scored a big century that was even quicker. It was against the Netherlands in July 2006. Batting first, Sri Lanka posted their highest ODI score of 443/9 runs because Jayasuriya gave them a rocking start and made a 64-ball hundred. He scored 157 runs off 104 balls, with 24 fours and one six. The Netherlands got all out for 248 runs and lost by 195 runs.
3. Thisara Perera (140 runs) – 57 balls vs New Zealand
The third-fastest ODI century for Sri Lanka came from the bat of all-rounder Thisara Perera, who was known for hitting big sixes. He was a hard-hitting batter who played a number of cameos, including the third-fastest ODI century. He scored a 57-ball hundred against New Zealand in January 2019. The Black Caps scored a total of 319/7 in their first inning. In reply, Sri Lanka lost seven wickets for 128 runs, and then came a brilliant century by Perera. He made 140 runs off 74 balls, with 8 fours and 13 sixes, and got out in 46.2 overs, and Sri Lanka lost the game by 21 runs.
2. Sanath Jaysuriya (130 runs) – 55 balls vs Bangladesh
Sanath Jayasuriya is back again with the second fastest century for Sri Lanka, which came against Bangladesh in the 2008 Asia Cup in Karachi. Batting first, Sri Lanka had a dream start, with both openers scoring centuries. Kumar Sangakkara made 121 off 128 balls, and Jayasuriya scored a 55-ball century. He made 130 runs off 88 balls, including 16 fours and six sixes. Sri Lanka posted a total of 332/8 and dismissed Bangladesh for 174 runs. As a result, they won the game by 158 runs.
1. Sanath Jaysuriya (134 runs) – 48 balls vs Pakistan
Sanath Jaysuriya has also hit the fastest ODI century for Sri Lanka. He hit it in the Singer Cup in April 1996 against Pakistan. It was the first game of the tournament, and Sri Lanka reached a big total of 349/9 in their first inning. Jayasuriya scored his century off just 48 balls and made 134 runs off 65 balls, with 11 fours and 11 sixes. This century was the fastest ever until Shahid Afridi (37 balls) broke it after six months. Pakistan got all out for 315 runs and lost the game by 34 runs.