Published: Jan 02, 2016, 08:21 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 05, 2016, 01:09 AM (IST)
The records for fastest 50 and fastest 100 are well known, and celebrated as landmarks when they are broken — but the special status accorded to these numbers is no more than a result of the fact that we use a base-10 counting system. What about other numbers which are less celebrated? Michael Jones looks at the batsmen who took fewest balls to reach scores in between — a list which was completely rewritten before and during the 2015 World Cup, and more recently by Martin Guptill’s assault on Sri Lanka in Christchurch.
When AB de Villiers smashed 149 off just 44 balls against West Indies in January, the attention of the cricket world focused on the fact that he had broken the records for both the fastest 50 and fastest 100 in ODIs. Daniel Hill raised the question: what about other scores? Fifty and hundred are only considered special because they are round numbers in a decimal system; if the scores of cricket matches were recorded in binary, we might instead keep records of the fastest 100000 and 1000000 (in decimal notation, 32 and 64). Against England, Brendon McCullum narrowly missed out on the fastest 50 in ODIs, but a flurry of sixes afterwards saw him threaten the record for the fastest 100 before being dismissed short of it. Did he set any other records on the way? It turns out that the answer is yes.
Note first that ‘fastest to n runs’ means the fewest balls taken to score at least n: de Villiers was never on exactly 100 because he went from 98 to 104 with one shot, but he still goes down in the record books as scoring the fastest 100. With that criterion, let us see who reached each score the fastest.
Countless players have reached 1, 2, 3 or 4 runs off their first ball, and a number have made it to 6. After that, de Villiers and McCullum both get left behind temporarily as they both started their innings relatively quietly (de Villiers with 4, 2, 1, 1 off his first four balls; McCullum with 1, 6, 0, 0).
Although there have been a few instances of 7 or even 8 runs off one ball in an ODI, no one has yet managed it off the first ball they faced in an innings, so the fastest 7 is off 2 balls.
Several players have managed 10 off their first 2, but three have gone better and made 12: Sunil Narine started his innings with two sixes off Glenn Maxwell at Perth in February 2013, Akshar Patel did likewise off Dhammika Prasad at Cuttack in November 2014, and most recently, Liam Plunkett belted his first two balls from Grant Elliott over the boundary to take England past 400 at Edgbaston last June.
Both Akshar and Plunkett only managed singles off their third ball, making them the joint fastest to 13 but falling behind Sachithra Senanayake, who reached 14 off three (4, 6, 4). Narine, however, tops them all: he hit his third and fourth balls for six as well, making him the only batsman to reach 18 off 3 balls and 24 off 4.
Narine failed to score off his fifth ball and was out to his sixth, so the record for the fastest quarter-century in an ODI falls jointly to three players who reached 25 off 6: James Franklin (2, 1, 6, 6, 4, 6) against Canada in the 2011 World Cup; Maxwell (6, 4, 2, 4, 6, 6) in a futile attempt to chase 384 in Bangalore after Rohit Sharma had made the first of his ODI double centuries; and another McCullum effort (4, 4, 6, 6, 4, 1) at Queenstown on New Year’s Day 2014 — which went largely unnoticed as he was upstaged by Corey Anderson’s and Jesse Ryder’s blitzes in the same innings. Maxwell is the only batsman to reach 26, 27 and 28 off 6 balls, but his failure to score off his seventh allows Franklin to sneak ahead, with 29 off 7 and 31 off 8.
Two McCullum innings both recorded 32 off 9, with the twist that they weren’t the same McCullum: Brendon got there in the Queenstown innings, equalling the mark set by Nathan at Hambantota two months earlier (1, 4, 0, 1, 4, 6, 4, 6, 6) — in the course of which he broke the record for most runs scored off the last over to win a match.
De Villiers and Guptill both make their first appearances in the table here — equalling the McCullums’ 32 off 9 — and de Villiers surpasses them with 34 off the same number. Both McCullums drop out of the reckoning after that — Nathan was left on 32* with the match won, while Brendon was out for 33 — but the temporary lull de Villiers went through after that (0, 2, 2, 0, 1 off his 10th to 14th balls) enables others to match or beat him in the 30s and 40s.
When Pakistan were chasing an easy target against Netherlands in the 2002 Champions Trophy, Shahid Afridi made merry, with 35 off 11 balls and 41 off 12 (4, 0, 4, 4, 4, 0, 1, 6, 6, 0, 6, 6), but Guptill upstaged him with 38 off 10 (4, 1, 1, 6, 4, 4, 0, 6, 6, 6).
The record for the fastest 42 changed hands twice in the last year: Andre Russell’s 13-ball effort against Pakistan in the World Cup was the fewest taken to reach that score, beating the previous record of 15 balls held jointly by four players: Afridi, de Villiers, McCullum in his World Cup onslaught against England — and one occasion when the boot was on the other foot for New Zealand, Jos Buttler hitting 1, 1, 6, 4, 4, 4, 0, 4, 0, 4, 4, 0, 1, 6, 6 against them at Trent Bridge in 2013; Guptill beat them all with 42 off 11.
The other four had been almost neck and neck through the 40s: Buttler and de Villiers both scored 45 off 15, but only de Villiers was able to go on to 50 off 16 — Afridi stuck on 49, McCullum 48 and Buttler 47 off the same number of balls.
Guptill wiped them all off the list up to 46 by reaching that mark off only 12 balls, and though he missed his 13th and managed only a single apiece off the next four, that was still enough to set new records for 47 (14) and 48 (15), before equalling Afridi and de Villiers with 49 off 16.
At the start of 2015, McCullum held most of the records between 50 and 80, when he pulverised Bangladesh for 80* off 28 balls at Queenstown on New Year’s Eve 2007. De Villiers proceeded to rewrite the list, and at the time his innings against West Indies held the record for the fastest to every score from 50 to 100.
Barely a month later McCullum grabbed a number of them back. From 50 to 69 (20 balls), de Villiers remains in front, but McCullum’s four consecutive sixes off Steven Finn ensured he equalled the earlier mark of 72 off 21, then bettered AB with 76 off 22 and 77 off 24.
Guptill reached 70 off 21, but fell behind the other two thanks to failing to score off his 22nd. McCullum’s dismissal for 77 enabled Guptill to retake the lead: with 80 off 25, 84 off 26, 85 off 27 and 91 off 28 he eclipses de Villiers. The two stand level with 92 off 29.
From 94 to 162, only two innings feature in the list, the second taking over from the score at which the first one ended. McCullum’s dismissal ensured that de Villiers was left with every record from 78 to his final score of 149 — having taken most of them from marks set by Corey Anderson a year previously.
By holing out in the last over of the innings, he left a chasm between the fastest 149 and the fastest 150 — a record which stood with the 83 balls Shane Watson took against Bangladesh in 2011, in what at the time was considered a remarkable display of hitting, but saw him take almost twice as many balls as de Villiers required to score only one run fewer. De Villiers soon filled the gap with another display of hitting against the same opposition in the World Cup a few weeks later. Watson holds every record from 150 to his final score of 185, which he reached off 96 balls.
The upper reaches of the table underwent a rewrite thanks to the two double-centuries in the World Cup: prior to the tournament, Virender Sehwag was the quickest to reach every score from 186 to 219, including the then fastest ODI double-century off 140 balls.
Chris Gayle’s onslaught against Zimbabwe changed that: Sehwag’s 186 off 132 balls and 187 off 133 remain records, but Gayle’s sequence of 6, 4, 6, 4, 6, 6, 6 off consecutive balls faced from Tafadzwa Kamungozi and Sean Williams ensured he caught up with Sehwag on 188 off 134, and overtook him thereafter. There are three further scores at which they stand equal — 191 off 136, 208 off 142 and 215 off 146 — but Gayle holds all those in between outright, including a new record for the fastest 200, off 138 balls.
| Runs | Balls | Batsman | Team | Opposition | Venue | Date |
| 1 | 1 | Many | ||||
| 2 | 1 | Many | ||||
| 3 | 1 | Many | ||||
| 4 | 1 | Many | ||||
| 5 | 1 | Many | ||||
| 6 | 1 | Many | ||||
| 7 | 2 | Many | ||||
| 8 | 2 | Many | ||||
| 9 | 2 | Many | ||||
| 10 | 2 | Danny Morrison | New Zealand | UAE | Faisalabad | 27-02-1996 |
| Ravi Rampaul | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Kingstown | 10-03-2010 | ||
| James Hopes | Australia | England | Lord’s | 03-07-2010 | ||
| Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 | ||
| Sachithra Senanayake | Sri Lanka | New Zealand | Hambantota | 10-11-2013 | ||
| Akshar Patel | India | Sri Lanka | Cuttack | 02-11-2014 | ||
| Liam Plunkett | England | New Zealand | Birmingham | 09-06-2015 | ||
| 11 | 2 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 |
| Akshar Patel | India | Sri Lanka | Cuttack | 02-11-2014 | ||
| Liam Plunkett | England | New Zealand | Birmingham | 09-06-2015 | ||
| 12 | 2 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 |
| Akshar Patel | India | Sri Lanka | Cuttack | 02-11-2014 | ||
| Liam Plunkett | England | New Zealand | Birmingham | 09-06-2015 | ||
| 13 | 3 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 |
| Sachithra Senanayake | Sri Lanka | New Zealand | Hambantota | 10-11-2013 | ||
| Akshar Patel | India | Sri Lanka | Cuttack | 02-11-2014 | ||
| LE Plunkett | England | New Zealand | Birmingham | 09-06-2015 | ||
| 14 | 3 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 |
| Sachithra Senanayake | Sri Lanka | New Zealand | Hambantota | 10-11-2013 | ||
| 15 | 3 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 |
| 16 | 3 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 |
| 17 | 3 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 |
| 18 | 3 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 |
| 19 | 4 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 |
| 20 | 4 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 |
| 21 | 4 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 |
| 22 | 4 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 |
| 23 | 4 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 |
| 24 | 4 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | Australia | Perth | 03-02-2013 |
| 25 | 6 | James Franklin | New Zealand | Canada | Mumbai | 13-03-2011 |
| Glenn Maxwell | Australia | India | Bangalore | 02-11-2013 | ||
| Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | West Indies | Queenstown | 01-01-2014 | ||
| 26 | 6 | Glenn Maxwell | Australia | India | Bangalore | 02-11-2013 |
| 27 | 6 | Glenn Maxwell | Australia | India | Bangalore | 02-11-2013 |
| 28 | 6 | Glenn Maxwell | Australia | India | Bangalore | 02-11-2013 |
| 29 | 7 | James Franklin | New Zealand | Canada | Mumbai | 13-03-2011 |
| 30 | 8 | James Franklin | New Zealand | Canada | Mumbai | 13-03-2011 |
| 31 | 8 | James Franklin | New Zealand | Canada | Mumbai | 13-03-2011 |
| 32 | 9 | Nathan McCullum | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Hambantota | 12-11-2013 |
| Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | West Indies | Queenstown | 01-01-2014 | ||
| AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 | ||
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 | ||
| 33 | 9 | Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | West Indies | Queenstown | 01-01-2014 |
| AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 | ||
| 34 | 9 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 35 | 10 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 36 | 10 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 37 | 10 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 38 | 10 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 39 | 11 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 40 | 11 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 41 | 11 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 42 | 11 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 43 | 12 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 44 | 12 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 45 | 12 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 46 | 12 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 47 | 14 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 48 | 15 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 49 | 16 | Shahid Afridi | Pakistan | Netherlands | Colombo | 21-09-2002 |
| AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 | ||
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 | ||
| 50 | 16 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 51 | 16 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 52 | 16 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 53 | 17 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 54 | 17 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 55 | 17 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 56 | 17 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 57 | 17 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 58 | 18 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 59 | 18 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 60 | 18 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 61 | 18 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 62 | 19 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 63 | 19 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 64 | 19 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 65 | 19 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 66 | 19 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 67 | 19 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 68 | 20 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 69 | 20 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 70 | 21 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | England | Wellington | 20-02-2015 | ||
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 | ||
| 71 | 21 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | England | Wellington | 20-02-2015 | ||
| 72 | 21 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | England | Wellington | 20-02-2015 | ||
| 73 | 22 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | England | Wellington | 20-02-2015 | ||
| 74 | 22 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | England | Wellington | 20-02-2015 | ||
| 75 | 22 | Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | England | Wellington | 20-02-2015 |
| 76 | 22 | Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | England | Wellington | 20-02-2015 |
| 77 | 22 | Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | England | Wellington | 20-02-2015 |
| 78 | 24 | Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | England | Wellington | 20-02-2015 |
| 79 | 25 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 | ||
| 80 | 25 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 81 | 26 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 | ||
| 82 | 26 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 | ||
| 83 | 26 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 | ||
| 84 | 26 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 85 | 27 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 86 | 28 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 | ||
| 87 | 28 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 | ||
| 88 | 28 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 | ||
| 89 | 28 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 | ||
| 90 | 28 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 91 | 28 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 |
| 92 | 29 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 | ||
| 93 | 30 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28-12-2015 | ||
| 94 | 30 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 95 | 30 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 96 | 30 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 97 | 30 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 98 | 30 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 99 | 31 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 100 | 31 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 101 | 31 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 102 | 31 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 103 | 31 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 104 | 31 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 105 | 32 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 106 | 32 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 107 | 32 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 108 | 32 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 109 | 32 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 110 | 32 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 111 | 34 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 112 | 34 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 113 | 34 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 114 | 34 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 115 | 34 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 116 | 34 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 117 | 35 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 118 | 36 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 119 | 36 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 120 | 36 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 121 | 36 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 122 | 36 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 123 | 36 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 124 | 37 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 125 | 37 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 126 | 37 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 127 | 37 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 128 | 37 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 129 | 37 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 130 | 38 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 131 | 38 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 132 | 38 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 133 | 38 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 134 | 39 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 135 | 39 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 136 | 39 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 137 | 39 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 138 | 39 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 139 | 39 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 140 | 40 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 141 | 40 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 142 | 40 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 143 | 40 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 144 | 40 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 145 | 40 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 146 | 41 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 147 | 41 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 148 | 42 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 149 | 42 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18-01-2015 |
| 150 | 64 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Sydney | 27-02-2015 |
| 151 | 65 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Sydney | 27-02-2015 |
| 152 | 65 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Sydney | 27-02-2015 |
| 153 | 65 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Sydney | 27-02-2015 |
| 154 | 65 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Sydney | 27-02-2015 |
| 155 | 65 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Sydney | 27-02-2015 |
| 156 | 65 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Sydney | 27-02-2015 |
| 157 | 66 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Sydney | 27-02-2015 |
| 158 | 66 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Sydney | 27-02-2015 |
| 159 | 66 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Sydney | 27-02-2015 |
| 160 | 66 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Sydney | 27-02-2015 |
| 161 | 66 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Sydney | 27-02-2015 |
| 162 | 66 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | West Indies | Sydney | 27-02-2015 |
| 163 | 88 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 164 | 88 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 165 | 90 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 166 | 90 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 167 | 90 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 168 | 90 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 169 | 92 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 170 | 92 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 171 | 92 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 172 | 92 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 173 | 92 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 174 | 92 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 175 | 94 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 176 | 94 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 177 | 94 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 178 | 94 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 179 | 95 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 180 | 95 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 181 | 95 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 182 | 95 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 183 | 95 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 184 | 95 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 185 | 96 | Shane Watson | Australia | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 11-04-2011 |
| 186 | 132 | Virender Sehwag | India | West Indies | Indore | 08-12-2011 |
| 187 | 133 | Virender Sehwag | India | West Indies | Indore | 08-12-2011 |
| 188 | 134 | Virender Sehwag | India | West Indies | Indore | 08-12-2011 |
| Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 | ||
| 189 | 134 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 190 | 135 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 191 | 136 | Virender Sehwag | India | West Indies | Indore | 08-12-2011 |
| Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 | ||
| 192 | 136 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 193 | 136 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 194 | 136 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 195 | 136 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 196 | 136 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 197 | 137 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 198 | 138 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 199 | 138 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 200 | 138 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 201 | 138 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 202 | 139 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 203 | 139 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 204 | 139 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 205 | 139 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 206 | 140 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 207 | 141 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 208 | 142 | Virender Sehwag | India | West Indies | Indore | 08-12-2011 |
| Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 | ||
| 209 | 142 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 210 | 143 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 211 | 144 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 212 | 144 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 213 | 145 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 214 | 145 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 |
| 215 | 146 | Virender Sehwag | India | West Indies | Indore | 08-12-2011 |
| Chris Gayle | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-02-2015 | ||
| 216 | 148 | Virender Sehwag | India | West Indies | Indore | 08-12-2011 |
| 217 | 148 | Virender Sehwag | India | West Indies | Indore | 08-12-2011 |
| 218 | 148 | Virender Sehwag | India | West Indies | Indore | 08-12-2011 |
| 219 | 148 | Virender Sehwag | India | West Indies | Indore | 08-12-2011 |
| 220 | 156 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 221 | 156 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 222 | 156 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 223 | 158 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | West Indies | Wellington | 21-03-2015 | ||
| 224 | 158 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 225 | 158 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 226 | 158 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 227 | 160 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 228 | 161 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 229 | 161 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 230 | 161 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 231 | 161 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | West Indies | Wellington | 21-03-2015 | ||
| 232 | 162 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | West Indies | Wellington | 21-03-2015 | ||
| 233 | 162 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | West Indies | Wellington | 21-03-2015 |
| 234 | 162 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | West Indies | Wellington | 21-03-2015 |
| 235 | 162 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | West Indies | Wellington | 21-03-2015 |
| 236 | 163 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | West Indies | Wellington | 21-03-2015 | ||
| 237 | 163 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | West Indies | Wellington | 21-03-2015 |
| 238 | 164 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 239 | 164 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 240 | 164 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 241 | 165 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 242 | 165 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 243 | 165 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 244 | 165 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 245 | 165 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 246 | 165 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 247 | 166 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 248 | 166 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 249 | 166 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 250 | 166 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 251 | 167 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 252 | 168 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 253 | 168 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 254 | 168 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 255 | 168 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 256 | 168 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 257 | 168 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 258 | 169 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 259 | 170 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 260 | 171 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 261 | 171 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 262 | 171 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 263 | 171 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
| 264 | 172 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 13-11-2014 |
Sehwag is left with the records for 216 to 219; beyond that markit’s a battle between Rohit and Guptill. Guptill made a steady start to his innings and remained well behind the fastest until close to the end; only his assault on Russell’s last over enabled him to equal Rohit in reaching 223 off 158 balls and 231 off 161, then beat him off the last two balls; Rohit took one ball more to match Guptill’s 237. From 238 onwards Rohit holds all the records by default.
(Michael Jones’ writing focuses on cricket history and statistics, with occasional forays into the contemporary game)
