The Indian Premier League (IPL), one of the most riveting and popular cricket leagues in the world, is known for power-hitting. But still, it produced some slow knocks, which were crucial on some slow pitches and, at that point in the match, were very much needed.
So let's have a look at the top seven slowest centuries of all time in the IPL.
Manish Pandey (67 balls):
It was in the second IPL season
that Manish Pandey scored one of the crucial centuries of the IPL. It was a
tough batting pitch at Centurion, and where every other batter struggled to
score runs, Manish Pandey held the fort for Royal Challengers Bangalore and
scored an unbeaten 114 in 73 balls by hitting ten fours and four sixes, scoring
his first IPL hundred in 67 balls. Nobody in the team crossed 25 runs, but
Manish had other plans and executed them to perfection to take RCB total to
170. The match was won by Bangalore even though the Deccan Chargers tried their best
but lost by 12 runs. It was one of a kind and will be remembered forever,
even though it was the slowest IPL century so far.
Virat Kohli (67 balls):
Virat
Kohli holds the record for most IPL centuries. Although he is one of the
greatest hitters in the cricket world, his eighth IPL century equalled the
record for the slowest IPL hundred. It was the IPL 2024 match between Royal
Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals, where the RCB opener scored a
67-ball century, and his 113 not out in 72 balls (12 fours and four sixes)
helped his team score 183/3 in the first innings. However, Rajasthan Royals
chased the target in the final over with the help of Jos Buttler's powerful
58-ball hundred.
Sachin Tendulkar (66 balls):
Sachin
Tendulkar, the god of Indian cricket, is known as Master Blaster. He scored
his only hundred in the IPL in 2011 against Kochi Tuskers Kerala. It was one of
the slowest IPL centuries. The Mumbai Indians' right-handed batter scored that
66-ball century by smashing 12 glorious fours and three handsome sixes against
KTK. He completed his century in the last ball of the first innings, but
unfortunately, it was towards a losing cause.
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David Warner (66 balls):
David
Warner, a destructive batter in world cricket, was also a consistent
performer in the IPL. He smashed bowlers for fun on many occasions. He smashed
his first and slowest century in the IPL while playing for Delhi Daredevils in
2010 against Kolkata Knight Riders. David Warner smashed 100 off 66 balls and
remained unbeaten in the game with 107 off 69 balls, which included nine fours
and five sixes. His contribution of a century helped his team win the match by
40 runs against KKR.
Jos Butler (66 balls):
Jos
Butler is one of the greatest players in IPL history. He won the
Orange Cap and Most Valuable Player in the IPL 2022 for his great batting form.
While the Rajasthan Royals batter hit four centuries in the IPL 2022, one of
those was completed in 66 balls against Mumbai Indians. During that innings,
the right-handed opening batter hit 11 fours and five sixes. He laid the
foundation for Rajasthan and helped them post a total of 193 for eight, which their bowlers comfortably defended.
Also Read | Fastest deliveries in IPL history
Kevin Pietersen (64 balls):
Kevin
Pietersen, the former English cricketer and excellent commentator, was one
of the key players in IPL history. He smashed his only IPL century for Delhi
Daredevils against Deccan Chargers during the IPL 2012. During the chase,
Pietersen completed his maiden IPL century with a match-winning sixer as he
completed that hundred in 64 balls. Even in that slow century, Pietersen hit
six fours and nine sixes.
Virat Kohli (63 balls):
Royal Challengers Bangalore
legend Virat Kohli was in outstanding form in the IPL 2016, where he scored a
record 973 runs, including four centuries. However, his first IPL century was
one of the slowest IPL hundreds. It was the match against Gujarat Lions, where
Kohli recorded a 63-ball hundred with the help of 11 fours and one six.
Although his 100 not out helped RCB score 180/2, Gujarat Lions successfully
chased the target.
KL Rahul (63 balls):
In IPL history, KL
Rahul has been one of the most consistent performers with the bat. The
right-handed Indian batter recorded his first IPL century in 2019 for Kings XI
Punjab against Mumbai Indians, which he completed in 63 balls. In his 100 not
out off 64 balls innings, Rahul hit six fours and six sixes, as his batting
guided KXIP to a total of 197/4. However, Mumbai Indians won that game by three
wickets after successfully chasing the target on the final ball.
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