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In the high-octane arena of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where strike rates often overshadow substance, scoring a century remains the ultimate testament to a batter’s mastery. For Pakistan, a nation passionate about its cricket, the list of players who have achieved this feat in the tournament’s history is remarkably short – just two men across nearly two decades.
Pakistan’s century makers in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
Ahmed Shehzad (2014): The pioneer’s power
The first Pakistani to score a century in a T20 World Cup was Ahmed Shehzad, who achieved the feat against Bangladesh in Mirpur on March 30, 2014. Opening the innings, Shehzad remained unbeaten on 111 runs off just 62 deliveries, an innings that combined brutal power with elegant strokeplay .
His knock, which included 10 fours and five sixes, propelled Pakistan to a formidable total of 190 runs. In response, Bangladesh could only manage 132, giving Pakistan a comprehensive victory . At 22 years and 127 days old, Shehzad became the youngest centurion in T20 World Cup history at the time – a record that stood for 12 years until Canada’s Yuvraj Samra broke it earlier in the 2026 edition .
Sahibzada Farhan (2026): The new age precision
Fast forward 12 years, and Sahibzada Farhan became the second Pakistani to reach the milestone, achieving the feat in Pakistan’s final group-stage match against Namibia at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on February 18, 2026 .
Farhan’s unbeaten 100 off just 58 deliveries was a masterclass in controlled aggression. Unlike Shehzad’s power-hitting spectacle, Farhan’s innings was defined by precision – identifying gaps, rotating strike effectively, and accelerating at the perfect moments. His knock featured 11 fours and four sixes as he anchored Pakistan to 199 for 3 in their 20 overs.
What made Farhan’s achievement particularly special was the context. Coming into the match with Pakistan already facing questions about their batting approach, the 29-year-old opener demonstrated remarkable composure. He reached his half-century in 36 balls before accelerating, completing his maiden T20I century in the final over of the innings.
The 12-year gap: Why so few centuries for Pakistan in T20 World Cups?
The fact that Pakistan, a cricketing nation with a rich batting heritage, has produced only two T20 World Cup centurions in 19 years is striking. For comparison, West Indies’ Chris Gayle alone has two centuries in the tournament, while England, New Zealand and South Africa have each produced multiple centurions .
Several factors explain this anomaly. Pakistan’s batting order has often prioritized stability over explosiveness in World Cup matches, with players like Babar Azam accumulating runs without reaching three figures. Babar, despite being Pakistan’s most consistent T20I batter with 464 runs in World Cups, is yet to score a century in the tournament – his highest being 70 .
Additionally, the pressure of knockout matches and challenging conditions in World Cups have often led to conservative approaches. The 2024 T20 World Cup, notably, saw no centuries at all across the entire tournament.
