Top 5 fastest hundreds in Men’s ODI World Cups ft. Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell activated beast mode in Australia's 2023 World Cup clash against the Netherlands at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday, smashing the record for the fastest hundred in the competition's history in the process.

Maxwell tore into a sorry Dutch attack and butchered them all around the park in what was a ridiculous display of hitting. He took just 40 deliveries to break the ODI World Cup record which was incidentally set at this very venue earlier in the tournament when Aiden Markram blazed away to a 49-ball ton against Sri Lanka.

Australia whipped up a mammoth 399/8 in their 50 overs to leave the Netherlands with a monumental chase on hand. The Aussies are eyeing a third win on the spin in the 2023 World Cup having lost their first two games before turning in victories against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

On the back of Maxwell's pyrotechnics, let's look at the five fastest hundreds in the history of the tournament, which feature some of the most iconic knocks the format has seen.

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#1 Glenn Maxwell (40 balls)

The wicket of Josh Inglis off the last ball of the 39th over saw Australia's score read 266/4 against the Netherlands in their 2023 World Cup clash.

In walked Maxwell and despite the wicket of David Warner soon after, he was in no mood to waste time. What stood out though was the way he chose to play authentic cricket shots first up, creaming the ball down the ground with ease and power.

As his innings picked up pace, the reverse hits came out at will as he got to his half-century off 27 deliveries with a reverse hit over backward point. It became the order of the day as he continued to pulverize the bowlers, taking a real liking to Bas de Leede, who registered the record for the most runs conceded in an ODI innings.

A heave over backward square leg saw Maxwell raise a century off just 40 deliveries before he holed out for 106 off 44 deliveries, studded with six fours and eight sixes.

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#2 Aiden Markram (49 balls)

Markram's the personification of true aesthetics as a batter and he proved the same in South Africa's 2023 World Cup opener against Sri Lanka. Walking out to bat at 214/2 with the foundation laid, he unleashed some drool-worthy drives down the ground to state his intentions.

Markram never let the momentum drop as he used his bottom hand in particular to brilliant effect, scything the ball to the off-side fence at will. Having taken just 34 deliveries to get to a half-century, he took just 15 more to get to his hundred, setting a new record in the process.

The 43rd over in particular stood out as Markram took a liking to Matheesha Pathirana, with 26 runs coming off it. It truly was an exhibition of the highest order as he ended on 106 off 54 deliveries with 14 fours and three hits over the fence.

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#3 Kevin O'Brien (50 balls)

Arguably the most iconic innings in the ODI World Cup, Ireland's Kevin O'Brien wrote himself into the history books as well as eternal folklore during his side's clash against England in Bengaluru in 2011.

Chasing a massive 328 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Ireland were in disarray with their score reading 111/5. O'Brien, who walked out at number 4, decided to throw caution to the wind en route to a magnificent counter-attack, leaving England's bowlers lost for solutions.

He butchered the then-fastest ODI World Cup hundred off just 50 deliveries, breaking Matthew Hayden's record from the 2007 edition. O'Brien was run out off the first ball of the penultimate over for 113 off 63 deliveries but John Mooney and skipper Trent Johnston secured the remaining eleven runs with five deliveries to spare to script a famous upset.

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#4 Glenn Maxwell (51 balls)

Glenn Maxwell destroyed the Sri Lankan bowling unit at the 2015 World Cup (Picture Credits: Getty).

Despite an early wobble in their Group A clash of the 2015 World Cup against Sri Lanka, Australia recovered well thanks to a superb partnership of 134 between Steven Smith and skipper Michael Clarke. Once the latter was dismissed in the 32nd over, the launchpad was set for Glenn Maxwell to take the Sydney Cricket Ground by storm.

The 'Big Show' was in a menacing mood, decimating the Lankan bowlers all around the park. Even Smith's wicket, which followed soon after Clarke's, didn't deter the Victorian, who had a certain Shane Watson for company as Australia's total swelled from 177/4 in 32.3 overs to a monstrous 376/9 at the end of the 50th.

It was down in large part to Maxwell's brutal onslaught, as he clubbed a 53-ball 102 while nearly breaking the record for the fastest ODI World Cup century along the way, getting to the landmark off his 51st delivery.

He scored ten boundaries and four sixes in the process before falling to a Thisara Perera full toss. The damage was done though with Sri Lanka eventually going down by 64 runs despite a Kumar Sangakkara hundred.

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#5 AB de Villiers (52 balls)

Nine days before Maxwell nearly broke O'Brien's record, AB de Villiers had a good shot at it himself. The venue on that occasion too was Sydney as South Africa showed off their batting might against a hapless West Indian bowling unit.

Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla stitched together a second-wicket partnership of 127 to put the Proteas on course for a huge total. Once both batters were dismissed in quick succession, skipper de Villiers took centerstage alongside Rilee Rossouw and what followed was carnage of the highest order that left fans struck with awe.

Shots all around the park including a few outrageous ones backward of square left West Indies wondering what had hit them. Rossouw's 39-ball 61 almost went unnoticed - that was the extent of the hammering de Villiers dished out as he walloped a 52-ball hundred.

It didn't end there though - tearing into poor Jason Holder, he continued to obliterate the ball and dump it into the stands to break the record for the fastest 150 in all ODIs. He eventually stopped only because the innings came to a close, finishing on an unbeaten 66-ball 162 studded with 17 fours and eight sixes.

South Africa whipped up 408/5 and the West Indies were steamrolled for 151 - 11 short of de Villiers' own score. You had to watch it to believe it!