Former Australian opener and Sydney Thunder captain David Warner once again proved why he remains one of the biggest stars of T20 cricket as he smashed his second century of the ongoing Big Bash League 2025-26 (BBL 2025-26) and broke Virat Kohli’s record in the process.
David Warner smashes second BBL century and breaks Virat Kohli’s big T20 record
Warner reached his historic hundred with a calm single off Sean Abbott in the ongoing Big Bash League 2025-26 clash between the Sydney Sixers and the Sydney Thunder at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney on Friday (January 16).
Read Also: BBL controversy erupts as David Warner accuses Zaman Khan of Chucking at the Gabba
Despite Sydney Thunder struggling in the ongoing BBL 2025-26, Warner has stood tall. With this knock, he has now crossed 400 runs in the tournament and has been one of the standout performers.
Warner celebrated in his own composed style, removing his helmet and raising his bat to the crowd, though he skipped his trademark leap this time.
David Warner has done it again!
That is another superb #BBL15 century for the 39-year-old. pic.twitter.com/iPqEDKz6Or
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 16, 2026
This century was special as it pushed Warner ahead of Virat Kohli in the list of most T20 hundreds. Warner now has 10 T20 centuries, while Kohli remains on nine.
Most hundreds in T20 cricket:
Chris Gayle: 22
Babar Azam: 11
David Warner: 10*
Virat Kohli: 9
Rilee Rossouw: 9
Additionally, the left-handed batter joined the elite list of players with three hundreds, sharing the record of the most hundreds in the BBL with England’s Ben McDermott and his former Australia teammate Steve Smith.
Modern batters take Big Basg League to new heights
Meanwhile, the Big Bash League has always been a stage for explosive batting, but the ongoing season has taken it to a whole new level. The ongoing tournament has so far seen a record eight individual centuries, which is the highest in any BBL season till now.
Read Also: Mitchell Starc absolutely destroyed by David Warner on BBL return after 11 years
The previous record was six centuries in the 2021/22 season, showing how the modern T20 game continues to push limits. Before that, both the 2015/16 and 2024/25 seasons saw five individual hundreds each. This surge highlights not just the modern-era batters’ power and skill but also how the BBL has evolved into a high-octane and thrilling spectacle.
Sydney Sixers march toward big win over Thunder
Speaking about the BBL 2025-26 clash, David Warner was involved in two crucial partnerships—first he added 56 runs with Matthew Gilkes (12) for the opening stand, and then he added 84 runs off just 47 balls with Nic Maddinson (26) to take Sydney Thunder to 189/6 on the board against Sydney Sixers.
For the Sixers, England all-rounder Sam Curran was the standout bowler, finishing with the brilliant spell of 3/28 in his four overs at the SCG. Mitchell Starc, Jack Edwards, and Ben Manenti each have scalped one wicket against Thunder in the ongoing BBL 2025-26 clash.
Sydney Thunder out of playoffs race
Notably, Sixers are still in the race for the playoffs, and if they manage to beat Thunder, it will only boost their chances, as they are currently sitting on the fifth spot with nine points from 8 games. On the other hand, the BBL 15 has been a nightmare for the Thunder, losing seven of their nine games and currently lagging at the bottom of the points table with only four points.
