Top 3 Fastest Centuries for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL history

Sunil Narine Century ( Photo source : X / Twitter )

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are among the most formidable franchises in the history of the Indian Premier League ever since its inception. KKR were involved in the first-ever encounter of the cash-rich league when they took against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18, 2008.

Since then, KKR have gone on to add several accolades to their name, playing some brilliant level of cricket. However, the franchise saw its most successful years under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir. The New Delhi-born led the Knight Riders to a couple of titles in three years, first in 2012 followed by another in 2014.

In their 17 years of existence, the two-time champions have produced some amazing players. Sunil Narine has been one of the long-standing members of the team, having been part of the team for over a decade. However, there have been very few players who have been able to score a century for the franchise, however, Manish Pandey and Maninder Bisla came very close during two of their triumphant final appearances.

Here’s a look at the top three fastest centuries for KKR in IPL history:

3. Brendon McCullum (53 balls) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, 2008

Brendon McCullum (Twitter/X)

In the very first game of the IPL, opener Brendon McCullum did the unthinkable. The right-handed batter punished the RCB bowlers to reach his century from just 53 balls. McCullum ended up with 158 runs, which was the highest score before Chris Gayle (175 off 66) overtook it in IPL 2013.

During his 73-ball stay at the crease, the stumper-batter unleashed his beast mode and announced his arrival at the big stage. It was McCullum’s knock that got the world talking about the Indian Premier League, and it is one of the moments that laid the foundation for the aspirational value that the league offers today.

Also Read: IPL Record – List of all-time IPL Records & Stats – CricTracker

2. Sunil Narine (49 balls) vs Rajasthan Royals, 2024

Sunil Narine Century ( Photo source : X / Twitter )

The capacity crowd at Eden Gardens finally got to witness one of their own batters score a century. Sunil Narine smashed each and every Rajasthan Royals bowlers to all parts of the ground to reach his first ever T20 ton. The century was reached with a four as the entire KKR team were seen celebrating the special knock.

The star all-rounder opened in the tie against Rajasthan and set the stage ablaze with his presence at the crease. Taking a quality pace attack consisting the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult, and Ravichandran Ashwin, Narine looked fearless with the bat in his hands, and struck huge hits at will, before getting out on 109 off just 56 deliveries that powered KKR to 223/6.

1. Venkatesh Iyer (49 balls) vs Mumbai Indians, 2023

Venkatesh Iyer (Photo Source -Twitter/X)

After the century by Brendon McCullum, Kolkata Knight Riders had to wait 15 years for their next ton. The long wait was put to an end when star all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer scored a splendid century at the Wankhede Stadium. The left-handed batter pounced on anything short or wide as he feasted on the MI bowlers to score his first IPL ton.

The Madhya Pradesh cricketer turned the game on its head with his sensational knock that was key to powering KKR to an excellent total. Reaching the landmark in just 49 deliveries, Iyer became the fastest as well as the youngest centurion for the Kolkata-based franchise. Notably, Iyer made 104 runs in 51 balls, but that could not help KKR win the game against the hosts, as they chased down the target with five wickets remaining.

Also Check: IPL Winners List from 2008 to 2024 | List of IPL Winners & Runners Up of all season

Last updated – April 16, 2024 after KKR vs RR Match