Top 4 T20I centuries which came in a losing cause

Scoring a century in a T20 game is quite a rare feat and not many players across the cricketing globe have managed to achieve it. In fact, there have been just 17 centuries scored in the decade-long history of T20I cricket, where the other two formats see at least one century in almost every match.Considering how rare T20 centuries are, it can be really heartbreaking for a batsman to end up on the losing side despite scoring a ton. There have been 4 instances so far in the T20I format when a century has come in a losing cause.Let's take a closer look at each of these 4 occasions:

#4 Rohit Sharma - 106 vs South Africa, 2015

Rohit Sharma’s maiden T20I century could not help India’s cause

One of India's most reliable batsmen in limited-overs cricket, Rohit Sharma, recently became the 2nd Indian after Suresh Raina to score a century in all 3 formats of cricket. Sharma acheived this feat in the home T20I series against South Africa last year when he scored 106 off 66 balls in the 1st game.

The elegant batsman's innings consisted of 5 sixes and 12 fours and his special knock took the Indian score to 199 in their 20 overs. However, Rohit's masterclass was cruelly thwarted through a combined effort by the South African batsmen which saw them win with 2 balls to spare.

Rohit Sharma's maiden T20 century came about as one of quite a few occasions in recent times when India has lost despite him scoring a hundred.

#3 Chris Gayle - 117 vs South Africa, 2007

A thunderous century from Gayle was not enough to ensure a West Indies win

It took Chris Gayle just 4 innings to reach his first T20I century, which came against South Africa in a group match at the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007. Gayle blazed away to 117 off just 57 balls in an innings which included 10 towering sixes and 7 fours.

Thanks to Gayle's effort, West Indies put a formidable target of 206 for the Proteas to chase down. Herschelle Gibbs led the South African charge with a blistering unbeaten 90 off 55 and was ably supported by Justin Kemp who got 46 from 22.

South Africa won the match by 8 wickets and had another 2.2 overs left in hand when they completed the chase. The only consolation for Chris Gayle was the Player of the Match award that he received for his brilliant innings.

#2 Faf du Plessis - 119 vs West Indies, 2015

A du Plessis special went in vain due to a ‘Gayle storm’

Posting a score of 231 on the board can be a difficult proposition; however, it is possible when one of the players gets a hundred. Faf du Plessis did exactly that in a T20I against the West Indies as his impeccable 119 off a mere 56 deliveries led South Africa to a mammoth 231 in the second match of a 3-T20I series.

du Plessis' monumental innings included 5 sixes and 11 fours and his strike rate was a phenomenal 212.50. However, what the South African skipper and his team did not know was that a 'Gayle storm' awaited them in the second half of the game.

Chris Gayle plundered away to 90 from 41 balls and provided the perfect platform for West Indies to complete a record chase with 4 balls to spare. The only saving grace for Faf du Plessis came in the form of a 'T20I Peformance of the Year' award for his terrific innings at the 2015 ICC Awards.

#1 Shane Watson - 124 not out vs India, 2016

Watson’s brilliant effort was thwarted by the Indian batsmen

The most recent T20I century which went in vain came from the bat of Australian allrounder Shane Watson in the final match of the 3-T20I series against India. Watson carried his bat through the innings for his emphatic 124 in 71 balls, which included 6 sixes and 10 fours.

Australia had already conceded the series to the Indians and were playing just for pride in the last match. Shane Watson's top effort propelled the Aussie score to 197, which appeared to be a defendable total.

However, a scintilating chase, which saw India winning by 7 wickets off the last ball of the match, ensured that Watson's outstanding performance was laid to waste. Nonetheless, Shane Watson's stellar innings helped him win the Player of the Match award.