In cricket, scoring a century—100 or more runs in a single innings—is a remarkable achievement that highlights a batsman’s skill, endurance, and concentration. It is a moment of pride, celebrated not only by the player but also by teammates and spectators. Reaching this milestone, players often acknowledge the applause by raising their bats to the crowd and removing their helmets as a gesture of respect.
Why Centuries Matter
A century represents a key measure of a batsman’s ability and consistency. Every batsman aspires to reach this landmark, as it is a testament to their excellence and focus at the crease. It is not just a personal milestone but a significant contribution to the team’s performance, often influencing the outcome of the game.
Centuries Across Cricket Formats
Centuries can be scored in all formats of cricket, though the challenges vary with each:
- Test Matches: Played over five days, providing batsmen ample time to build their innings and score centuries.
- One-Day Internationals (ODIs): With 50 overs per side, centuries are less frequent than in Tests but still achievable with skill and strategy.
- T20 Matches: The shortest format, limited to 20 overs per side, where centuries are rare due to time constraints. Related Milestones in Cricket
- Half-Century: Scoring 50-99 runs in an innings.
- Double Century: Achieving 200-299 runs in an innings.
- Triple Century: Reaching 300-399 runs in an innings.
- Quadruple Century: Scoring 400 or more runs in an innings—a feat so rare that it has been accomplished only once in international cricket. Brian Lara of the West Indies holds this record with his unbeaten 400 against England in 2004.
Legendary century scorers Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar is the only player in history to score 100 centuries across all formats. Current Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, with 81* centuries and still active in international cricket, is second on the list. Australian legend Ricky Ponting occupies third place with 71 centuries to his name.
