A World Cup century is a massive privilege for every player as it is scored on the grandest stage of all. Whether it ends up in a losing or winning cause, such innings always ends up being memorable and is etched in the minds of those watching. With the 2023 World Cup fast approaching, it is worth looking back at the fastest tons from every World Cup edition. The likes of Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Matthew Hayden, and a few other massive names fall in this category.
Fastest World Cup century History
| Player | Opposition | Venue | Date | Balls taken to score 100 | Final score |
| Clive Lloyd | Australia | Lord’s, London | 21/06/1975 | 82 | 102* |
| Viv Richards | England | Lord’s, London | 23/06/1979 | - | 138* |
| Kapil Dev | Zimbabwe | Tunbridge Wells | 18/06/1983 | 72 | 175* |
| Sunil Gavaskar | New Zealand | Nagpur | 31/10/1987 | 85 | 103* |
| Brian Lara | South Africa | Karachi | 11/03/1996 | 83 | 111 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | Kenya | Bristol | 23/05/1999 | 84 | 140 |
| John Davidson | West Indies | Centurion | 23/02/2003 | 67 | 111 |
| Matthew Hayden | West Indies | St. Kitts | 24/03/2007 | 66 | 101 |
| Kevin O’Brien | England | Bengaluru | 02/03/2011 | 50 | 113 |
| Glenn Maxwell | Sri Lanka | Sydney | 08/03/2015 | 51 | 102 |
| Eoin Morgan | Afghanistan | Manchester | 18/06/2019 | 57 | 148 |
| Aiden Markram | Sri Lanka | Delhi | 07/10/2023 | 49 | 106 |
| Rohit Sharma | Afghanistan | Delhi | 11/10/2023 | 63 | 131 |
| Glenn Maxwell | Netherlands | Delhi | 25/10/2023 | 40 | 106 |
Audacious Glenn Maxwell Smashes Fastest World Cup Century
Swashbuckling Australian batsman Glenn Maxwell showcased his talent in all its glory on Wednesday, October 25, as he painted the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi with his 360-degree strokeplay to obliterate the record of the fastest ton in Cricket World Cup history.
On a ground, where South African batsman Aiden Markram hammered a record 49-ball ton against a helpless Sri Lankan attack a few weeks ago, Maxwell went a few steps ahead as he brought up his century in just 40 deliveries. It was a typical Maxi knock, glittered with awe-inspiring strokeplay, especially the famed switch-hit, with Bas de Leede being at the receiving end most of the time.
Maxwell smashed 9 fours and 8 monstrous sixes to bring up the record ton, and in the process, propelled the Australians to an imposing 399/8 in 50 overs. This is the second time that Maxwell has entered into the record books as far as scoring one of the fastest centuries is concerned. The 'Big Show' smashed a 51-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in the 2015 World Cup, which was the 2nd fastest WC ton at the time. 8 years later, the champion entertainer finally scales the numero-uno spot.
