Top 3 Fastest Centuries By Sachin Tendulkar In ODI Cricket

It might take a whole generation of players to equal the number of records that only one player has in the history of cricket. He redefined cricketing standards with his unparalleled batting prowess and an undying dedication to the game. This player is none other than the “God of Cricket” - Sachin Tendulkar. He has been a source of inspiration for a number of players in the world and has been the hero of Indian cricket. To witness him batting on the field was equal to seeing a literal God at work. His shots were like poetry in motion and his game sense was highly elaborate while also being instinctive at the same time. He has achieved so many accolades that it’s almost impossible to encapsulate all of them in a single piece. For now, we’ll just focus on his fastest centuries in ODI cricket.

71-Ball Century vs Zimbabwe (1998)

It was the Sharjah final of the tri-series between Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and India. India and Zimbabwe advanced to the final, where Zimbabwe batted first. Although their total of 196 was below average, the Zimbabwe bowlers were anticipated to put up some effort in the second innings, given their strong tournament performance before that match. But the game was totally flipped by the opening duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly of India, who chased the score down without dropping a single wicket. Sachin Tendulkar fastest century came off of just 71 balls, demonstrating his aggression throughout the partnership. In the end, Ganguly stayed undefeated at 63 off 90 balls, while the master blaster remained undefeated at 124 off 92 balls. 

76-Ball Century vs West Indies (2007)

Tendulkar batted fourth in this match, which was the fourth of the 2007 India-West Indies ODI bilateral series. India got off to a fantastic start as Robin Uthappa and Sourav Ganguly began the batting. Later, Tendulkar took advantage of that start by hitting the Caribbean bowlers to every corner. In the match, India scored 341 runs at the cost of just 3 wickets, while Tendulkar stayed undefeated at 100 off just 76 balls with 10 boundaries and a six. In response, West Indies lost the match by 160 runs after being bowled out for just 181 runs, falling well short of the mark.

81-Ball Century vs Australia (2009)

The heartache India endured that day made this game a fixture in the memories of Indian supporters. Australia reached the 350-run barrier when batting first in the fifth match of the 2009 ODI series between India and Australia. Even if the pitch was flat, the total still felt too high to chase down against a strong Australian assault. But Tendulkar had other plans. In addition to reaching his century in just 81 balls, the master blaster batted all the way to the end before being removed for 175 off 141 balls, holding the fort for India all by himself. Despite Tendulkar's incredible effort, India lost that match after missing the target by just 4 runs.