Virat Kohli's 3 fastest IPL fifties

Virat Kohli is among the most prolific players in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The former India skipper is the only player to have represented a single franchise over the years and his stance with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is still very much intact.

He has played a key role in the growth of the franchise since its inception after coming into the league as a youngster. He has broken records at will and is far from done, with the quest for a maiden title egging him on.

The Delhi-born batter has scored 42 fifties in the competition, putting him third on the all-time list behind David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan. Kohli has also managed to scale the three-figure mark on five occasions.

Whether it be opening the batting or coming in at No.3, Kohli is not the type of player who goes off the blocks from the word go. He settles in, gets the odd boundary to keep the scoreboard ticking, and rotates the strike. However, once he sets in, it is nearly impossible to stop him.

Relying on traditional shots to do the scoring, which to his credit has worked very well, he can stir things up pretty quickly if he stays till the end. But during the initial phase of the innings, he pays more attention to adapting rather than acceleration.

As a result, Kohli is yet to score an IPL half-century with a strike rate in excess of 200. That does not take away what he has achieved by any means, as he almost makes up for it the more balls he faces in the second half of the innings.

On that note, let's take a look at his three fastest IPL fifties.

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#1 26 balls (RCB vs RR; 2018; Chinnaswamy Stadium)

Kohli's fastest fifty came during the 2018 IPL season, where he brought up the landmark figure in 26 deliveries.

While chasing a mammoth total of 218 runs set by the Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan Royals (RR), the ace batter came into bat at No. 3.

He took the bowlers apart in the powerplay, helping the three-time finalists pile up 64 runs in the first six overs. However, his dismissal in the 11th over completely derailed the run chase. He departed for 57 runs off 30 deliveries, which included seven fours and two sixes.

RCB slumped to a 19-run defeat despite a set of cameos by Chris Woakes and Washington Sundar.

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#2 28 balls (RCB vs KXIP; 2016; Chinnaswamy Stadium)

The former RCB skipper's stupendous 113 off 50 deliveries not only ranks high among his greatest knocks but can easily be regarded as one of the best innings in the history of the shortest format. Playing with stitches on his hand due to the injury he sustained while claiming a catch in the previous contest.

He set fire to the rain-curtailed encounter by unleashing a version of himself that was probably not on show before. He took a back seat first while Chris Gayle ran the show from the other end in the five-over powerplay, where the hosts amassed 53 runs.

Kohli ran the show singlehandedly after reaching his fifty off 28 deliveries and Gayle's dismissal in the 11th over. RCB ended with 211-3 in 15 overs and won the match by a comfortable margin.

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#3 28 balls (RCB vs CSK; 2013; Chinnaswamy Stadium)

Kohli definitely has a penchant for shortened matches, with another quickfire fifty under his belt in such circumstances. RCB were battling CSK in their final league game of the season, requiring a win to keep their hopes of qualifying for the playoffs alive.

Rain played a huge part in the proceedings, eventually reducing the game to eight overs per side in Bangalore. The skipper led the charge and ended up scoring more than half of the runs as RCB posted a commanding 106-2, with Kohli scoring an unbeaten 56 off 29 deliveries. He scored six fours and four sixes during the innings and got to the fifty-run mark in 28 deliveries.

While RCB won the contest by 24 runs, the win was not enough for them to get into the top four. They finished in fifth spot, behind by two points as the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) claimed a win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on the final day of the league stage.

Is Virat Kohli the greatest batter to have played in the IPL? Let us know what you think.

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