Top 5 fastest T20 fifties by Indians

Enter capti

Often termed as the batsman's game, T20 cricket offers little scope for error for bowlers as batsmen are looking to score off every ball. This has significantly affected scoring rates in modern times and record books of fastest to different milestones have been written and rewritten.

Here, we look at the top 5 fastest 50's scored by Indians in the T20 format (including all T20's) with regard to the number of balls taken. All but one of these five innings have come in a losing cause and on three occasions the player has gone on to achieve the award for Man of the Match.


Suresh Raina- 16 balls

<p>Enter caption</p><p>R
Raina is an IPL legend and it's highest run-scorer

In the second Qualifier for IPL 2014, Kings XI Punjab faced the challenge of IPL's most consistent team- CSK. Virender Sehwag played one of IPL's best innings as his 122 run knock helped Punjab set CSK a daunting 226 for victory.

In reply, Suresh Raina, who came to the crease in the very first over, got going immediately as he hit Sandeep Sharma for three fours and a six in one over. A couple of fours off Parvinder Awana were then followed up by depositing the world's then fastest bowler Mitchell Johnson for a four and two huge sixes in an over.

With 47 off 15, Raina showed his class as he effortlessly lifted Sandeep for another six over covers to bring up his fifty off just 16 balls. The IPL legend did not stop here as he bludgeoned Awana for four fours and two sixes in the very next over to reach 87 off 25 balls.

However, a misjudged single meant that Raina's excellence could not go any further and with his dismissal, Chennai's hopes of winning the match took a jolt. Thus, Raina's memorable 25 ball at the stay is the only innings on this list to end up on the losing side.

Also Read: 5 cricketers who changed their names

MS Dhoni- 16 balls

Dhoni treated his home crowd with a memorable knock in 2014
Dhoni treated his home crowd with a memorable knock in 2015

Chennai Super Kings were taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad in a league match of the CLT20 in 2015 when Dhoni came out to bat in the 15th over of the innings. After scoring 11 runs off his first 7 balls, which included a six off Duminy, Dhoni set himself to up the ante.

In the 18th over of the innings, bowled by Thisara Perera, Dhoni pulled a leaf out of is own old textbook as he clobbered Perera for 5 sixes in the over. Straight drive over the sight screen, a whip over the fine leg boundary, a slice over backward point, slog over long on and an uppercut over third man, all of this action unfolded in one over and each time the ball crossed the fence for a six.

A couple off Sammy in the final over, before another two sixes off consecutive balls that followed, meant that Dhoni's home crowd at Ranchi has seen their hero get to a half-century off just 16 balls, a record for CLT20.

CSK, whose score went from 141 after 17 overs to 202 from 20 overs, thanks to Dhoni's magical display of power, overhauled SRH by 12 runs.

Also Read: IPL matches won by a six off the final ball of the match

Yusuf Pathan- 15 balls

Yusuf Pathan has played quite a few match turning knocks
Yusuf Pathan has played quite a few
match
turning knocks

On 24th May 2014, in an important IPL match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders' explosive middle-order batsman Yusuf Pathan showed a glimpse of his old days as he helped his side achieve a comfortable victory.

Chasing 160, KKR required 104 off 12 overs when Pathan came to the crease. More importantly, though, they needed to score those 104 runs within 44 balls if they wanted to enter the playoffs.

The flashy batsman made his intentions very clear from the first ball that he faced as he slogged Karn Sharma, only to be reprieved by a dropped catch on the mid-wicket fence by Anirudh Srikkanth.

After scoring just 4 off his first 4 balls, Pathan went after off-spinner Parvez Rasool as he hit him for 2 sixes and as many fours in a single over. He then deposited Karn Sharm for a couple of sixes off alternate balls to bring his team into the driver's seat.

With 40 off 13, Pathan then clobbered Dale Steyn, a force to reckon with at that time, for a four and a mammoth six to reach his 50 off just 15 balls. The Baroda batsman did not stop at this as he went on to bludgeon Steyn for another six and a couple of fours in the same over as he plundered 26 runs.

With just 9 left to win the game, Man of the Match Yusuf holed out in an attempt to deposit another delivery into the Eden Gardens stands, bringing an end to his 72 run innings that came off just 22 balls.

Also Read: Pairs of brothers to have played in IPL

K L Rahul- 14 balls

Rahul made a strong start to IPL 2018 in his maiden season for Punjab
Rahul made a strong start to IPL 2018 in his maiden season for Punjab

After being bought for a whopping ₹11 crores by the Kings XI Punjab, Karnataka batsman Lokesh Rahul had a huge responsibility of delivering on the management's faith. And he truly did not disappoint in his first outing in Punjab colors as he made his way into the record books.

Chasing a modest total against Delhi Daredevils in their IPL 2018 season opener, Rahul, who opened the batting with stalemate Mayank Agarwal, started off by depositing Trent Boult in the stands before hitting him for consecutive boundaries. Mohammad Shami's short balls were dealt with by Rahul in a stylish manner as he collected a four and a six.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra though, bore the maximum brunt as he was taken to the cleaners by Rahul, who smoked 4, 6, 6, 4, 4 off Mishra to reach his fifty in grand style, off just 14 balls. This top order flamboyance meant that Rahul now has his name at the top of the record for the fastest IPL fifty, previously held by Sunil Narine.

In fact, Rahul brought up his team's fifty with his own fifty, as his partner scored just one run off the team's total of 52 in the first 3 overs.

Also Read: 5 Karnataka players to watch out for in IPL 2018

Yuvraj Singh- 12 balls

Yuvraj's six sixes in an over will always remain etched in memory of fans
Yuvraj's six sixes in an over will always remain etched in the memory of fans

0, 4, 1, 4, 4, 1, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6. This is how Yuvraj Singh's 12 balls got recorded in a must-win game against England in the inaugural edition of the ICC WT20 in Durban in September 2007.

Having come into bat in the 17th over, Yuvraj plummeted Stuart Broad for six consecutive sixes in the penultimate over of the innings as he became the first and till date the only batsman to accomplish this feat in T20 cricket. Reaching his half-century in just 12 balls, Yuvraj's 50 is the fastest in all T20 cricket.

The southpaw scored 58 before holing out to a full toss from Flintoff, the man who enraged Yuvi enough to go after the toothless Broad, but not before he had set the stage on fire with 7 sixes and 3 boundaries in a 16 ball stay at the crease.

It was just the kind of effort that was needed, not just to help India post a daunting total on the board, but also lift the entire team and inspire them to go on to put their hands on the silverware.

Also Read: ICC T20I Performance of the Year over the years

Get Lightning Fast Live Cricket Scores of your Favourite Matches only on the Cric Rocket App

Quick Links

Edited by Amar Anand