David Warner Claims 10th T20 Century, Edges Ahead of Virat Kohli in Elite List

Sydney Thunder captain David Warner etched his name deeper into T20 cricket history after smashing a century in the Big Bash League (BBL), overtaking India great Virat Kohli to achieve a major personal milestone. Warner scored an unbeaten 110 off 65 balls against the Sydney Sixers at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Friday, registering his second hundred of the ongoing BBL season.

Although Warner’s knock came in a losing cause, it carried significant historical value. The century was his 10th in T20 cricket, moving him to third place on the list of batters with the most centuries in the shortest format. Prior to the match, Warner was tied with Kohli and South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw on nine centuries each. With this innings, the former Australia opener now trails only West Indies legend Chris Gayle and Pakistan star Babar Azam.

Gayle remains the all-time leader with 22 T20 centuries, while Babar Azam currently sits second with 11 hundreds to his name. At just 31, Babar is widely seen as a strong contender to challenge Gayle’s long-standing record in the coming years. Warner’s latest achievement further underlines his longevity and consistency across domestic and international T20 competitions.

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This was not the first time this season that Warner produced a standout performance in defeat. Earlier in the tournament, he had struck an unbeaten 130 against the Hobart Hurricanes, only for Sydney Thunder to fall short once again. His performances, however, have been among the brightest spots in Thunder’s BBL campaign.

In Friday’s ‘Sydney Smash’, Warner’s century was eventually overshadowed by a blistering innings from his former Australia teammate Steve Smith. Chasing 190, Smith hammered a 42-ball century, striking nine sixes and five fours. He shared a 141-run opening partnership with Babar Azam, who contributed 47 off 39 balls, setting a strong foundation for the Sixers’ successful chase.

Despite losing a few wickets late, the Sydney Sixers reached the target with 16 balls to spare, significantly boosting their chances of qualifying for the BBL playoffs. Smith’s innings also saw him become the player with the most centuries in BBL history, with four hundreds, moving ahead of Warner and Ben McDermott, who are tied on three each.

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