Sanju Samson became the first centurion of IPL 2026 when he smashed an unbeaten 115 off 56 balls for CSK against Delhi Capitals at Chepauk on April 11, triggering over 32,000 fans into deafening chants of “Sanju!”.
Quinton de Kock followed with 112 off 60 on his IPL 2026 debut for MI against PBKS at Wankhede, and Tilak Varma completed the trio with a record-breaking 101 off 45 against GT in Ahmedabad.
IPL 2026 has been the highest scoring season in tournament history with teams regularly crossing 200 and even 250. Several batters came agonisingly close to centuries with Priyansh Arya falling 7 runs short on 93 and Cooper Connolly missing out on 87 in the same innings.
Here is a look at every centurion and near miss of the 2026 season.
IPL 2026 Centuries List
Three batters have reached the three-figure mark so far in the 19th season, with all three remaining unbeaten in their respective innings.
| Player (Team) | Score | Balls | 4s/6s | SR | Opposition | Venue | Date (Match) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanju Samson (CSK) | 115* | 56 | 14/4 | 205.35 | Delhi Capitals | Chepauk, Chennai | Apr 11 (Match 18) |
| Quinton de Kock (MI) | 112* | 60 | 8/7 | 186.66 | Punjab Kings | Wankhede, Mumbai | Apr 16 (Match 24) |
| Tilak Varma (MI) | 101* | 45 | 8/7 | 224.44 | Gujarat Titans | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Apr 20 (Match 30) |
Sanju Samson: 115* off 56 Balls vs DC at Chepauk (Match 18, April 11)
Sanju Samson scored the first century of IPL 2026 and his maiden hundred for Chennai Super Kings, lighting up Chepauk with an unbeaten 115 off 56 balls that powered CSK to their first win of the season.
Samson flew out of the blocks in the powerplay, scoring 45 of CSK’s 61 runs in the first six overs. He reached his fifty off just 26 balls before converting it into a 52 ball century in the 18th over off T Natarajan, whom he punished for 33 runs off 13 balls.
His 113 run partnership with Ayush Mhatre (59 retired out) laid the foundation before Shivam Dube’s cameo (20 off 10) pushed CSK to 212/2. DC were restricted to 189 all out as CSK won by 23 runs.
- Score: 115* off 56 balls (14 fours, 4 sixes, SR 205.35)
- Match Result: CSK 212/2 beat DC 189 all out by 23 runs
- Record: 4th IPL century of Samson’s career, 1st for CSK
- Impact: CSK’s first win of IPL 2026 and first home win after 6 successive defeats at Chepauk
Quinton de Kock: 112* off 60 Balls vs PBKS at Wankhede (Match 24, April 16)
Quinton de Kock marked his IPL 2026 comeback with a blazing, unbeaten 112 after replacing the injured Rohit Sharma at the top of MI’s order.
Playing his first match of the season, de Kock started watchfully as the ball seamed early before exploding against Yuzvendra Chahal for 19 runs in the sixth over.
He forged a crucial 132 run partnership with Naman Dhir (50 off 31) for the third wicket after MI had stumbled to 15/2 in the powerplay with Arshdeep Singh dismissing Rickelton and Suryakumar Yadav off back-to-back deliveries.
De Kock’s century came in the death overs as MI posted 195/5, but PBKS chased it down with 21 balls to spare courtesy of Prabhsimran Singh (80*) and Shreyas Iyer (66).
- Score: 112* off 60 balls (8 fours, 7 sixes, SR 186.66)
- Match Result: MI 195/5 lost to PBKS 198/3 (chased in 16.3 overs) by 7 wickets
Tilak Varma: 101* off 45 Balls vs GT at Ahmedabad (Match 30, April 20)
Tilak Varma produced the most explosive century of IPL 2026 and his maiden IPL hundred, equalling Sanath Jayasuriya’s record for MI’s fastest century in 45 balls.
Walking in at a precarious 46/3 after Kagiso Rabada ripped through MI’s top order, Varma did not hit a single boundary in his first 20 balls (17 off 20) before unleashing absolute carnage.
His last 82 runs came off just 23 balls, the most runs scored by any batter in the death overs (last 6 overs) in IPL history, breaking de Kock’s record of 80 for LSG vs KKR in 2022.
He smashed 22 runs off Prasidh Krishna’s final over including a scoop for six and a cross-batted four to complete his century. MI posted 199/5 and then bowled GT out for 100/9 to win by 99 runs, their first victory after four consecutive defeats.
- Score: 101* off 45 balls (8 fours, 7 sixes, SR 224.44)
- Match Result: MI 199/5 beat GT 100/9 by 99 runs
- Entry Point: MI were 46/3 after Rabada’s early burst
- Record: Most runs in the death overs (last 6 overs) in IPL history, 82 off 23 balls
- Record: Joint-fastest MI century in 45 balls (equalling Jayasuriya, IPL 2008)
- Record: Highest IPL score after going boundary-less in first 20 balls (17 off 20)
- Record: Biggest acceleration in IPL history, SR difference of 251 between first 20 balls and remaining innings
Which Batters Came Close to Scoring a Century in IPL 2026?
Several batters produced explosive knocks but fell agonisingly short of the three-figure mark. These near misses highlight the high-scoring nature of IPL 2026.
| Player | Team | Score | Balls | Opposition | Venue | How Dismissed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priyansh Arya | PBKS | 93 | 37 | LSG | New Chandigarh | Caught at long-off off Siddharth, fell 7 runs short |
| KL Rahul | DC | 92 | 52 | GT | Delhi | Caught Buttler bowled Siraj in the 16.6 over |
| Sameer Rizvi | DC | 90 | 51 | MI | Wankhede | Match winning knock, fell 10 short |
| Cooper Connolly | PBKS | 87 | 46 | LSG | New Chandigarh | Top edge caught off Prince Yadav, fell 13 short |
| Prabhsimran Singh | PBKS | 80* | 42 | MI | Wankhede | Remained not out in successful chase |
Key Stat: Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly both missed centuries in the same innings (PBKS vs LSG, Match 29) when PBKS posted 254/7, the highest team total of IPL 2026. Their 182 run second-wicket partnership was the backbone of the highest score this season.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Sanju Samson scored the first century of the season, 115* off 56 balls for CSK against DC at Chepauk on April 11.
3 centuries have been scored so far, Samson (115*), de Kock (112*), and Tilak Varma (101*). All three were unbeaten knocks.
Tilak Varma’s 101 off 45 balls* against GT is the fastest century this season, equalling Jayasuriya’s record for MI’s fastest hundred.
Priyansh Arya fell 7 runs short on 93 off 37 balls for PBKS against LSG at New Chandigarh.
Quinton de Kock’s 112* went in a losing cause as PBKS chased MI’s 195 with 21 balls to spare.
