In the modern era of women’s cricket, the game has evolved into a spectacular display of power-hitting, athletic fielding, and aggressive batting. Gone are the days when batters would take dozens of overs to “settle in” at the crease. Today, the 50-over format is played with a T20 mindset, resulting in skyrocketing strike rates and record-breaking innings.
For cricket fans and stat enthusiasts, one question frequently dominates search engines and sports forums: Who has scored the fastest century in Women’s ODI cricket?
If you are looking for the definitive answer, you have come to the right place. In this comprehensive guide, we will uncover the record holder for the fastest ODI century by a woman, break down the historic innings, clear up the common confusion between ODI and T20I records, and look at the top fastest centuries in the history of the women’s 50-over game.
The Record Holder: Meg Lanning’s 72-Blaster
The record for the fastest century in Women’s One Day International (ODI) cricket is held by Australian legend and former captain Meg Lanning.
Lanning achieved this monumental feat by reaching her three-figure milestone off just 72 balls. This incredible innings not only etched her name into the history books but also showcased the sheer dominance of the Australian women’s cricket team during their golden era.
To understand the magnitude of this achievement, one must look at the context of the 50-over game. Unlike T20 cricket, where batters are expected to score at a strike rate of 150+ from ball one, ODI cricket traditionally requires a balance of anchor-role stability and aggressive acceleration. Scoring a century in just 72 deliveries in an ODI means maintaining a strike rate of nearly 139 while navigating the nuances of fielding restrictions, bowling changes, and the pressure of building a massive total.
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Breaking Down the Innings: Australia vs. Ireland (2018)
Meg Lanning’s record-breaking century came during a bilateral series between Australia and Ireland. The match took place in August 2018 at the Observatory Lane Cricket Ground in Dublin.
At the time, Ireland was still in the early stages of establishing themselves on the full-member ODI stage, and Australia used the fixture to assert their supremacy. Batting first, Lanning walked in with the intent to dismantle the Irish bowling attack from the very first over.
The Statistics of the Knock
- Batter: Meg Lanning (Australia)
- Opponent: Ireland
- Date: August 2018
- Balls Faced to reach 100: 72 balls
- Final Score: 133 not out (off 78 balls)
- Boundaries: 12 fours and 3 sixes
Lanning’s innings was a masterclass in ODI batting. She didn’t just slog; she manipulated the field, found the gaps with surgical precision, and punished the loose deliveries. By the time she reached her century off 72 balls, the game was effectively over as a contest. She eventually finished not out on 133 off just 78 balls, leaving her with a staggering final strike rate of over 170.
This innings remains a benchmark for aggressive captaincy and batting prowess in the women’s 50-over format.
Clearing the Confusion: Women’s ODI vs. T20I Records
When searching for the “fastest century in women’s cricket,” many fans accidentally stumble upon records that belong to the T20 International (T20I) format or domestic leagues. This is the most common point of confusion in women’s cricket statistics.
It is vital to separate the 50-over (ODI) records from the 20-over (T20I) records. Here is the breakdown of the fastest centuries across different formats to clear up any search engine confusion:
| Format | Player | Balls | Opponent | Year |
| ODI | Meg Lanning | 72 | Ireland | 2018 |
| T20I | Deandra Dottin | 38 | South Africa | 2019 |
| Domestic T20 | Sophie Devine | 36 | WBBL | 2020 |
1. The T20I Record: Deandra Dottin
The fastest century in Women’s T20I cricket belongs to the West Indies powerhouse Deandra Dottin. Dottin scored a sensational century off just 38 balls against South Africa in 2019. Because a T20I innings only consists of 120 balls, a 38-ball century is a mathematically astonishing feat that is virtually impossible to replicate in the 300-ball ODI format.
2. The Domestic Record: Sophie Devine
New Zealand icon Sophie Devine holds the record for the fastest century in Women’s domestic T20 cricket. Playing in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), Devine reached her hundred off just 36 balls. Again, this is a T20 milestone, not an ODI record.
3. The ODI Record: Meg Lanning
As established, Meg Lanning holds the official ICC Women’s ODI record with her 72-ball century. The 50-over format requires batters to pace their innings, making Lanning’s 72-ball milestone the true benchmark for ODI explosive batting.
Top 5 Fastest Centuries in Women’s ODI History
Meg Lanning’s record-shattering century remains the benchmark for aggressive batting in women’s ODI cricket, but she is far from the only player to have produced a breathtaking hundred. Over the years, the rise of franchise cricket, improved fitness, and fearless batting approaches have transformed the women’s game, leading to faster scoring rates than ever before.
Here are the top five fastest centuries in Women’s ODI history, along with the stories behind these remarkable innings.
| Rank | Player | Country | Balls to Century | Opponent | Year |
| 1 | Meg Lanning | Australia | 45 | New Zealand | 2012 |
| 2 | Smriti Mandhana | India | 50 | Australia | 2025 |
| 3 | Karen Rolton | Australia | 57 | South Africa | 2000 |
| 4 | Beth Mooney | Australia | 57 | India | 2025 |
| 5 | Sophie Devine | New Zealand | 59 | Ireland | 2018 |
1. Meg Lanning (Australia) – 45 Balls
- Opponent: New Zealand
- Year: 2012
Meg Lanning holds the record for the fastest century in Women’s ODI cricket, reaching the milestone in just 45 deliveries. She raced to her fifty in only 23 balls before continuing her assault to finish with 103 runs. During the innings, she maintained a strike rate above 200, making her the only player in women’s ODI history to score a century at such a remarkable pace.
More than a decade later, Lanning’s innings is still regarded as the gold standard for explosive batting in the 50-over format. It demonstrated that aggressive T20-style batting could be just as effective in ODIs and inspired a new generation of players to play fearlessly from the outset.
2. Smriti Mandhana (India) – 50 Balls
- Opponent: Australia
- Year: 2025
Smriti Mandhana etched her name into cricket history with a sensational 50-ball century against Australia. She eventually scored 125 runs from just 63 deliveries, striking 17 boundaries in an innings that blended elegance with controlled aggression.
The knock not only became the second-fastest century in Women’s ODI history but also made Mandhana the fastest Indian batter, across both men’s and women’s cricket, to score an ODI hundred, surpassing Virat Kohli’s long-standing national record. Against one of the strongest bowling attacks in world cricket, Mandhana showcased her ability to dominate both the powerplay and middle overs with remarkable consistency.
3. Karen Rolton (Australia) – 57 Balls (Joint)
- Opponent: South Africa
- Year: 2000
Long before aggressive batting became the norm in international cricket, Karen Rolton produced one of the finest innings in Women’s ODI history by reaching her century in just 57 balls during the 2000 Women’s World Cup.
Her remarkable innings laid the foundation for Australia’s dominant tournament campaign and remained the fastest century in Women’s ODIs for many years. Rolton’s fearless approach was well ahead of its time, proving that attacking cricket could succeed even in an era where high-scoring matches were far less common.
4. Beth Mooney (Australia) – 57 Balls (Joint)
- Opponent: India
- Year: 2025
Beth Mooney matched Karen Rolton’s record by scoring a 57-ball century against India in Delhi. She went on to score an outstanding 138 runs from just 75 deliveries, including 16 fours and a six, while anchoring Australia’s massive total of 412.
What made the innings even more extraordinary was that it came in the very same match in which Smriti Mandhana scored her 50-ball century. As a result, two of the fastest centuries in Women’s ODI history were recorded in a single game, making it one of the most memorable batting contests the format has ever witnessed.
5. Sophie Devine (New Zealand) – 59 Balls
- Opponent: Ireland
- Year: 2018
- Final Score: 108 runs off 61 balls
Sophie Devine completed her century in just 59 balls, reaching the milestone inside the 17th over against Ireland. Her explosive innings helped New Zealand pile up a mammoth total of 418 runs, overwhelming the opposition from the very beginning.
Widely regarded as one of the most destructive all-rounders in women’s cricket, Devine is known for her fearless batting style and ability to attack from the first ball. Her record-breaking knock further cemented her reputation as one of the game’s most dangerous power hitters.
Conclusion
The record for the fastest century in Women’s ODI cricket belongs to the legendary Meg Lanning, who smashed a 72-ball hundred against Ireland in 2018. This innings remains a testament to her aggressive mindset and her ability to dominate the 50-over format.
However, as the women’s game continues to grow through global franchise leagues and improved athletic conditioning, the definition of what is possible at the crease is constantly being rewritten. While Deandra Dottin and Sophie Devine hold the lightning-fast records in the T20 formats, Lanning’s 72-ball ODI masterpiece stands as the ultimate benchmark for 50-over explosive batting.
Whether you are a stat nerd, an aspiring cricketer, or a fan of the women’s game, keeping track of these milestones is a great way to appreciate the rapid, thrilling evolution of women’s cricket.
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Frequently Asked Questions
In T20 International cricket, the record is held by West Indies’ Deandra Dottin, who scored a century off just 38 balls. In the 50-over ODI format, the record is held by Australia’s Meg Lanning, who reached her century in 72 balls.
The highest individual score in Women’s ODI history is 195 not out, scored by Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapathu against South Africa in 2023.
Yes. In Men’s ODI cricket, the record for the fastest century is held by South Africa’s AB de Villiers, who scored a 31-ball century against the West Indies in 2015.
Australia’s Meg Lanning is also the fastest woman to reach 1,000 runs in ODI cricket, achieving the milestone in just 22 innings, highlighting her incredible consistency and high strike rate.
Smriti Mandhana became the fastest Indian to score a Women’s ODI century after reaching the milestone in just 50 balls against Australia in 2025, breaking Virat Kohli’s previous 52-ball record.
In Women’s ODI cricket, Meg Lanning holds the record with a 45-ball century against New Zealand in 2012. In Women’s T20I cricket, Deandra Dottin holds the overall international record with a 38-ball century against South Africa.
