Fastest century in Women's T20 World Cup history — The complete list of every record-breaking hundred

The ICC Women's T20 World Cup has produced some of the most iconic batting displays in women’s cricket ever. Over the years, the tournament has evolved from a growing international competition to one of the premier global sporting events, bringing together the best talent from across the globe. Match-winning spells, stunning catches and breathtaking finishes are all part of the tournament's legacy, but few accomplishments are as memorable as smashing a century.

In T20 cricket the batters face only 120 balls in an innings. In contrast to ODI cricket, where it is possible to build an innings over several hours, T20 cricket is an impact game. Scoring quickly, taking risks and keeping their strike rate high through the innings are important for batters too. That's why hundreds are very rare in the format.

The challenge is even bigger in a World Cup. They are taking on the world’s best bowlers under an enormous amount of pressure. Every run is important and a mistake can change the course of the match. In spite of all these hurdles, a few players have scored hundreds on the biggest stage.

In 2010 West Indies star Deandra Dottin blasted a hundred off just 38 balls against South Africa, setting a record that stands unbeaten more than a decade later. Her innings not only became the fastest century in Women's T20 World Cup, it was also the first century in Women's T20 International cricket.

As the cricketing world looks ahead to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, fans are still left wondering if anyone will ever break Dottin’s iconic record. Before looking ahead, here are the record-breaking century in Women's T20 World Cup history.

Why T20 World Cup centuries are so rare

It is far more difficult to get a hundred in T20 cricket than in the longer formats. A batsman has to stay on the crease for the majority of the innings at maintaining an aggressive pace of scoring runs. Openers generally have the best chance to score a century as they play the maximum balls, but even then, it requires extraordinary consistency to reach three figures. 

Only a few centuries have been scored in the history of the Women's T20 World Cup, which has seen hundreds of matches. It shows how hard that achievement is.

See Also: ICC Women's T20 World Cup all-time winners list & history — Every champion from 2009 to 2024  

The modern game of women's cricket has become increasingly aggressive. Teams regularly score above 170 runs. Whereas, individual centuries are not so common in T20 as it is a team game and batsmen sacrifice their personal milestones for the success of team.

That is why each century scored in a Women's T20 World Cup is an instant part of cricket history.

Fastest Centuries in Women's T20 World Cup History

The ranking above is based on the number of balls taken to make the hundred. Harmanpreet Kaur's 100 came off 49 balls and she is the second-fastest centurion in Women's T20 World Cup history.

1. Deandra Dottin – 38 Balls vs South Africa (2010)

Deandra Dottin's incredible century against South Africa in the 2010 ICC Women's T20 World Cup remains one of the greatest innings in the history of the tournament. Playing at Warner Park in St. Kitts, the West Indies batsman delivered a knock that completely turned the game around. At a period when women’s T20 cricket was still developing, Dottin displayed raw power and aggression that had rarely been seen before. 

Coming in at number six, Dottin wasted no time in attacking the South African bowlers. She played fearless cricket from the first ball and was hitting boundaries all around the ground. The South African bowling line-up had no response as she kept scoring runs at an incredible pace. Her clean striking and aggressive style turned the game in West Indies' favour. 

Dottin reached her hundred in 38 balls, establishing a new world record and the fastest hundred in Women’s T20 World Cup history. She went on to be 112 not out off only 45 balls at a record strike rate of 248.88. She also hit a stunning nine sixes and seven fours. it is one of the most destructive knocks ever witnessed in women's cricket. 

The innings created several historic milestones. It was the first century in Women's T20 International cricket, the quickest century in Women's T20 International cricket, and also the quickest century ever made in a Women's T20 World Cup. Sixteen years later, not a single player has been able to suppress Dottin's 38-ball ton, which goes to show how phenomenal her achievement was. It stands as one of the iconic moments in the Women's T20 World Cup.

2. Harmanpreet Kaur – 49 Balls vs New Zealand (2018)

Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur wrote an unforgettable chapter in women's cricket when she slammed 103 from 51 balls against New Zealand at Providence, Guyana in 2018. A tentative start in part due to some early dismissals and physical discomfort, she rapidly shifted gears to play aggressive cricket, going after the bowlers and pressuring New Zealand. The explosive hitting in the middle of the innings took India in control of the game and thrilled fans around the world.

Harmanpreet came up with her 100 in just 49 balls, which is the second quickest in T20 World Cup Women. Her brilliant knock included 7 fours and 8 massive sixes and she finished with a strike rate of over 200. Driven by her blazing batting, India put up a huge 194/5 in 20 overs, which was one of the highest team total in the Women’s T20 World Cup. 

See Also: Most Wickets in Women's T20 World Cup History — All-Time Top Bowlers List Updated 2026

In response, New Zealand had no answer to India’s bowling attack and could only score 160/9, giving india a 34-run win. Harmanpreet was named Player of the Match for her match-winning ton. The knock will be remembered as a defining moment in Indian women's cricket as it not only showed that India could take the best in the world, but also established Harmanpreet as one of the most dangerous batters in the game.

3. Meg Lanning – 53 Balls vs Ireland (2014)

Australia’s captain, Meg Lanning, played one of the finest knocks in the history of the Women's T20 World Cup, she smashed 126 runs off 65 balls against Ireland in 2014 tournament in Bangladesh. In complete command at the crease, Lanning thoroughly outplayed the Irish bowlers right from the start and got to her hundred off only 53 balls.

Her superb knock was laced with 18 fours and four sixes and was a perfect combination of elegant stroke play and powerful hitting. Lanning's 126 is also the highest individual score in Women’s T20 World Cup. With her magnificent knock, Australia put a huge total of 191/4 in 20 overs and immediately got Ireland on the back foot.

Ireland was never in sight of the target and finished on 113/7 as Australia won by a comfortable 78 runs. Lanning was Player of the Match, and her innings is still considered the most complete T20 knock ever. The display only enhanced her standing as the greatest batter and captain in the history of the women's game of cricket.

4. Lizelle Lee – 59 Balls vs Thailand (2020)

South Africa's Lizelle Lee became the latest player to join the Women's T20 World Cup century club with a brilliant 101 off 60 balls against Thailand in the 2020 tournament in Canberra. The opener was in command from the start and took 59 balls to bring up her century. Rather than go for sixes mainly, Lee constructed her innings with precise stroke play, regularly finding gaps and keeping the scoreboard moving.

Her innings included 16 foures and three sixes as South Africa ended up with a daunting 195/3 in 20 overs. Thailand had a poor response and were limited to 82/9, giving South Africa an emphatic 113-run win. Lee's hundred was instrumental in South Africa's triumphant World Cup install and is still one of the best batting performances by a South African woman at an ICC tournament. It showed her class, consistency and performance on biggest stage.

5. Heather Knight – 63 Balls vs Thailand (2020)

England captain Heather Knight became the fifth centurion in Women's T20 World Cup history when she smashed an unbeaten 108 from 66 balls against Thailand in the 2020 tournament at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. Unlike a lot of explosive T20 hundreds, Knight constructed her innings patiently, she settled before accelerating brilliantly in the later stages. She made her hundred off 63 balls and was not out at the end of the innings. 

See Also: Most Runs in Women's T20 World Cup History — All-Time Top 10 Batters Updated 2026

Her knock included 13 fours and four sixes, helping England post 176/2 in 20 overs. Thailand were then restricted to 78/7, giving England a comfortable 98-run victory. Knight's century is the only one for England in the Women's T20 World Cup and is generally considered to be one of the best innings of her international career, demonstrating how composure, timing and intelligent shot selection can be crucial in T20 cricket.

6. Muneeba Ali – 66 Balls vs Ireland (2023)

Pakistan's Muneeba Ali made history in the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa, becoming the first Pakistani woman to hit a century in the tournament. Against Ireland, she batted composed and mature and got to her hundred in 66 balls and ended up with a magnificent 102 off 68 balls. Her knock of innings included 14 fours and came off good placement, sharp running between the wickets, and constant pressure on the bowlers.

Unlike certain rapid hundreds in the tournament, Muneeba's innings was a masterclass on patience and control instead of just pure power. Her century helped Pakistan post 165/5, and Ireland were then bowled out for 95, handing Pakistan a comfortable 70-run triumph. The landmark knock is still the finest feat ever achieved in Pakistan women's cricket and secured Muneeba's place in the history books of the Women's T20 World Cup.

ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Can Dottin's Record Finally Be Broken?

The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 is set to be the biggest edition of the tournament so far, with 12 teams competing across England and Wales. The expansion of the event reflects the rapid growth of women's cricket and brings together some of the most dangerous batters in the world, including players capable of changing a match within a matter of overs.

See Also: ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 — Full Squads of All 10 Teams Announced

With scoring rates continuing to rise, many fans are wondering whether Deandra Dottin's legendary 38-ball century against South Africa in 2010 can finally be surpassed. The West Indies star smashed 112* off just 45 balls and still holds the record for the fastest century in Women's T20 World Cup history. More than a decade later, no player has managed to reach three figures quicker on the tournament's biggest stage.

Several world-class batters will enter the 2026 competition with the ability to challenge long-standing records. But breaking Dottin's record would need a special innings of non-stop attacking cricket against the best bowling line-ups in world cricket. Even in this age of higher scores and more attacking batting, it is one of the hardest records to break in women's cricket.

Whether the record is broken in 2026 or holds for one more tournament, Dottin's explosive knock stands as the benchmark for explosive batting in Women's T20 World Cup history.