For over 10 years, The Indian Premier League has displayed some adrenaline-charged batting prowess that keeps fans entertained worldwide. Although many batsmen glorify scoring individual centuries as the ultimate target in their careers, scoring half-centuries in T20 cricket is an excellent achievement.
On a good day, power hitters come forth with so much hunger to make a successful game with some simultaneous 50s within a short time. Over the years, batters have gone the extra mile to display mastery in T20 cricket by setting records for the fasters 50s in IPL. Here, we look at some of the game-changers who have the fastest half-centuries in the 12 editions of IPL.
KL Rahul (50 in 14 Balls)
KL Rahul is by far the most versatile batsman to ever grace the world cricket scene. His performance in the IPL has been tremendous, with his exceptional striking abilities and various shooting styles. This has seen KL Rahul being named among the top batsmen in T20 cricket.
In 2018, the 28-year old Punjab Kings opener set a record for hitting the fastest 50 in IPL history with only 14 balls when playing against Delhi Capitals. Chasing a target of 167, the batsman went on a rampage to beat the Delhi Capitals bowlers from the start of the game. Rahul hit 6 fours and 4 sixes with his robust knock style earning him the man-of-the-match title.
Yusuf Pathan (50 in 15 Balls)
Following closely after KL Rahul is Yusuf Pathan, who is a household name when it comes to IPL. He is well known for having explosive knocks that are pretty intimidating to the opponents. Over the years, he has exhibited some impressive knocks, but none would come closer to his ruthless knock when Kolkata Knight Riders played Sunrisers Hyderabad Bowlers in 2014.
The game took a different direction when Yusuf smashed 5 fours and 7 sixes to score a dazzling 72 from 22 balls, with a strike rate surpassing 328, which led his team to win. The game ended with Yusuf attaining his fastest half century in IPL with only 15 balls, making it the second-fastest half century in IPL history.
Sunil Narine (50 in 15 Balls)
Sunil Narine’s presence in the IPL had proven to be inspirational when he transformed into an all-rounder cricketer. During the IPL edition of 2017, Narin and Chris Lynn opened the innings, and his huge pitch-hitting turned the tables for the bowlers who faced a nightmare trying to challenge him.
The two talented batsmen went on a rampage with fifties when their opponent Royal Challengers Bangalore recorded 158. Narine put out his best show and reached his IPL fastest fifty in 15 balls, marking it as the third-fastest in IPL history. At a strike rate of 317.65, Narine hit 6 fours and 4 sixes to score 54 from 17 balls.
Suresh Raina (50 in 16 Balls)
Suresh Raina has gained so much popularity for his intensity and consistency in playing the IPL. He has hit so many fifties and played hard-hitting knocks while playing for Chennai Super Kings. His outstanding performance of them all was when he reached 87 in only 25 balls.
The event took place in 2014 when playing against Kings XI Punjab, and he marked his fastest half-century in 16 balls, holding the position for the fourth-fastest 50 in IPL history. Unfortunately, his team struggled to keep up and lost by 25 runs. However, Raina’s aggressive hitting style kept the team lively all through the game.
Chris Gayle (50 in 17 Balls)
Chris Gayle has consistently demonstrated his aggressive play as a batsman and is dreaded by all bowlers playing the T20 tournament. Chris has played some incredible knocks, and in 2013, his extravagant performance was evident when playing against Pune Warriors. He smashed 175 runs in 16 balls to record the highest IPL run ever. With only 17 balls, he recorded the fifth-fastest 50 in IPL history. His innings were accounted for by 13 fours and 17 sixes, with RCB winning 263 against Pune Warriors.
Even though these records have existed for a while, we believe that ambitious players will stop at nothing to ensure the records change in their favor.