IPL: 5 batsmen with the most 50s but no centuries 

We often speak about the importance of one batsman batting through the innings in a T20 game. Not only will that help the team’s score, it will also help the player’s individual score as well.

However, there have been batsmen in the Indian Premier League (IPL) who have scored fifties but have never scored a ton. They have got close but they haven’t managed to breach that century-mark. Thus, we look at 5 players who have the most number of half-centuries but have never scored a hundred in IPL history.

Note – Three batsmen had 17 fifties and the two batsmen with higher number of runs have been considered. The other batsman is Dwayne Smith.

---

#5 Jacques Kallis – 17

Having played for two franchises over his 7-year IPL career, Kallis is one of the few players who has scored more than 2000 runs and has taken 50 wickets in IPL cricket. In fact, only two other players have managed to achieve that feat (Shane Watson and Kieron Pollard).

Kallis, who was the most expensive player for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2008 failed to live up to expectations in the inaugural season (scoring just 199 runs in 11 innings).

However, the South African had very good seasons in 2009 and 2010 where he scored in excess of 350 runs and also was more than handy with the ball. After scoring just one 50 in the first season, Kallis scored 9 in the next two.

In 2011, he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) where he played 56 games across four seasons. He struck 7 fifties which included one in the 2012 final (69 in 49 balls). Hence, overall, Kallis has played 98 games and has scored 2427 runs and has struck 17 fifties.

#4 MS Dhoni – 17

Dhoni has stayed unbeaten 49 times in his IPL career

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s name was almost inevitable in this list. Even though he has just 2 international T20 fifties, Dhoni has scored a total of 17 fifties in the IPL. He is one of the very few batsmen who have registered at least one fifty every year.

Coming in at No. 4, 5 or 6, Dhoni has often got very little time to settle and he has to go for the big shots right from the word go. MS Dhoni also has the best average by an Indian batsman (who has scored a minimum of 500 runs) in IPL history.

The former India captain has scored 3561 runs at an average of 37.88. He also has a staggering number of not-outs, 49, which shows how often he bats through and tries to take the team home.

Not only as a batsman, Dhoni is one of the best and most successful captains in the history of the IPL. He is the only captain to have won back-to-back IPL titles.

#3 Robin Uthappa – 22

Robin Uthappa won the Orange Cap in 2014

If you clearly remember the 2007 T20 World Cup, Robin Uthappa was a key member of that World Cup-winning team. Batting at No. 3, he played some crucial knocks and often went unnoticed.

After playing the inaugural season for Mumbai Indians, Uthappa returned to his hometown franchise and played for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the next two seasons.

He had a couple of decent seasons where he scored 549 runs in 27 innings and struck 4 fifties. He didn’t have a great time at Pune Warriors India (PWI) as well as he scored 1103 runs across 3 seasons.

And it was only when he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) that he found some consistency. In his first year with KKR (2014), he scored 660 runs (and won the Orange Cap) in 16 innings and registered 5 half-centuries.

He also had a streak where he scored 40+ scores in 10 consecutive innings in that 2014 season. He continued the good form over the next 3 seasons as he struck more than 350 runs in all the three.

Overall, Uthappa has played in 149 games and has amassed 3735 runs. He has also registered 22 half-centuries but has never converted it into a hundred.

#2 Shikhar Dhawan – 28

Shikhar Dhawan's highest IPL score is 95 not out

Shikhar Dhawan has played for four different teams before settling down with Sunrisers Hyderabad. Starting off with Delhi Daredevils, Dhawan had a good first season in 2008 where he scored 340 runs in 14 innings.

He then failed to impress in the next couple of years playing for Mumbai Indians. He was then picked by Deccan Chargers in 2011 and he had a couple of excellent seasons where he scored close to 1000 runs in 29 games and struck 7 fifties.

However, once Sunrisers came to the fore, he has been a constant member and an integral part of the SRH franchise. In 68 games, he has amassed 20211 runs and has hit 15 fifties as well. Overall, he has amassed 3561 runs in his IPL career and has registered 28 fifties in total.

#1 Gautam Gambhir – 35

Gambhir had a very successful 7 years at KKR.

Gautam Gambhir has scored the second-most number of fifties in IPL history. He has struck 35 half-tons in his 148-match IPL career.

For the first three years, Gambhir was at Delhi Daredevils where he had a fantastic first season scoring 534 runs in 14 innings at an average of 41.08. He also hit 5 fifties in that season. He scored a total of 1097 runs for DD between 2008 and 2010.

In 2011, he was the most expensive player of the auction and was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders and Gambhir, as the captain turned things around for KKR who were one of the under-achievers in the first three years. Gambhir led KKR to two IPL titles and changed the way KKR played their cricket.

At KKR, Gambhir played 108 games and scored 3035 runs at an average of 31.61. In those 108 matches, the Delhi-born opener also struck 27 half-centuries. In all, he has scored 35 half-centuries but has never scored a hundred in T20 cricket and thus, he tops this list.