West Indies cricket has seen many ups and downs in its history. They started white-ball cricket as one of the strongest teams in history, winning the first two editions of the ODI World Cups in 1975 and 1979. Then, there are times when they are struggling to maintain a good performance in the modern era.
But one thing has remained consistent about this team over time: the West Indian batters are known for their power hitting. And all this takes us to an interesting question: who was the most destructive among those, which we will determine by looking at the stats with the fastest centuries in ODI cricket?
Fastest Century in ODI by West Indies
| Batter | Balls | Score | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brain Lara | 45 | 117 (62) | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 09/10/1999 |
| Chris Gayle | 55 | 162 (97) | England | St George’s | 27/02/2019 |
| Chris Gayle | 69 | 112* (75) | Zimbabwe | Harare | 30/11/2003 |
| Kieron Pollard | 69 | 102 (70) | Australia | St Lucia | 23/03/2012 |
| Chris Gayle | 70 | 110* (77) | Canada | King City | 24/08/2008 |
| Darren Bravo | 71 | 100* (71) | Zimbabwe | Grenada | 22/02/2013 |
| Viv Richards | 72 | 149 (990 | India | Jamshedpur | 07/12/1983 |
| Ricardo Powell | 72 | 124 (93) | India | Singapore | 08/09/1999 |
| Marlon Samuels | 73 | 108* (75) | India | Vijayawada | 24/11/2002 |
| Shimron Hetmyer | 74 | 106 (78) | India | Guwahati | 21/10/2018 |
5. Chris Gayle (110 runs) – 70 balls vs Canada
Chris Gayle is a synonym for a hard-hitting beast who can demolish any bowling attack on his own. The left-hander has scored many quick centuries in his career, and one of these was the fourth-fastest in ODIs. It came against Canada in the final of the Scotiabank Series in August 2008. Batting first, Canada got all out for just 179 runs. In response, Gayle ripped the opposition bowling apart, smashing a 70-ball century and making 110* off 77 balls with 14 fours and six maximums to help his team win by seven wickets with 135 balls to spare.
4. Kieron Pollard (102 runs) – 69 balls vs Australia
The joint-third fastest ODI century is registered under the name of former skipper Keiron Pollard and came against Australia in March 2012 in Gros Islet. Australia won the toss and decided to bowl first. West Indies have some decent contributions in the middle, and Pollard scored a 69-ball century. He made 102 runs off 70 balls with 5 fours and eight sixes, and West Indies made 294/7 in their first inning. Australia couldn’t chase it down and got all out for 252 runs, losing the game by 42 runs.
3. Chris Gayle (112 not out) – 69 balls vs Zimbabwe
Chris Gayle is back in the list and this time with the joint-third fastest ODI century for West Indies. It was registered against Zimbabwe in November 2003. Batting first, Zimbabwe scored only 196 runs in 47.5 overs. It was an easy chase, and Gayle did it in style. He hit a 69-ball century and an unbeaten 112 off 75 balls with 17 fours and two sixes to help his team chase the score down in 25.4 overs with 8 wickets in hand.
2. Chris Gayle (162 runs) – 55 balls vs England
The second fastest ODI century for the West Indies is also registered under the name of Chris Gayle. He smashed a 55 ball century in February 2019 when England came to the West Indies for a five-match series. It was the 4th ODI, which ended in a high-scoring thriller. Batting first, England posted a huge total of 418/6 with the help of Eoin Morgan (103) and Jos Buttler (150 off 77). In reply, West Indies also tried hard, and Gayle stayed till the very end with a 55-ball century. He scored 162 runs off 97 balls, with 11 fours and 14 sixes. But West Indies fell short by 29 runs and made 389 runs.
1. Brain Lara (117 runs) – 45 balls vs Bangladesh
Fans always view Brain Lara as a calm and composed batter who is known for hitting big centuries. But he had another side as well, which was very explosive. He is at the top with the fastest ODI century for his country. He scored it against Bangladesh in Dhaka in October 1999. Lara smashed a century off just 45 balls to provide his team a flying start. He made 117 off 62 balls, with 18 fours and four sixes. West Indies reached 314/6 in their first inning and dismissed Bangladesh for 205 runs to win the game by 109 runs.