KL Rahul, Nicholas Pooran, Hardik Pandya: Top 10 fastest 50 in IPL History

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 has just concluded with the Mumbai Indians defeating the Delhi Capitals and clinching the champions' title for the fifth time. Mumbai Indians have become the first team in nine years to win back-to-back titles after Chennai Super Kings did it in 2010 and 2011. Captain Rohit Sharma scored his first half-century since October 1 as MI chased down a target of 157 with nine balls to spare.

While the IPL 2020 has reached its conclusion, people are now eagerly waiting for the mega-auction and the next season of IPL. This time the wait for IPL 2021 season is not long as the IPL 2020 started late due to the Coronavirus pandemic. 

While speculations are high that another franchise team will join the IPL, people are also eyeing on the mega-auction which will be held in January. 

Amidst so much going on related to the Indian Premier League, here are some ipl fastest fifty that add glitters to the golden history. 

1) KL Rahul fastest 50 in IPL

Kings XI Punjab opener KL Rahul hit a blistering fifty off just 14 balls against Delhi Capitals in the 2018 edition of the IPL. He hit a total of four sixes and six boundaries to get to 51. 

The 2018 season of the IPL marked the emergence of India's test team opener KL Rahul as a limited over the player. During the presentation, Rahul had said, "For years, I’ve been branded a Test cricketer. It’s good for me to be up there, creating history and breaking records. Hope to continue this way."

Batting first, DD put on a decent 166/7 in their 20 overs. Rahul had an edgy start against Trent Boult – 0,2,0 but then a top-edged six off the fourth ball seemed to trigger something. The fourth and fifth balls were then hit for fours.

16 (6).

The second over saw Mohammed Shami being brought into the attack. It made no difference to Rahul though. He got strike on the third delivery, smoked it over fine leg for six, and then followed it up with a four and a single.

27 (9).

However, KL totally breaks free when leg spinner Amit Mishra came onto the attack. The first five balls of the over were carted for 24 runs – 4, 6, 6, 4, 4.

51 (14).

It was the fastest fifty in ipl history and it is a record that still stands.

2) Yusuf Pathan fastest fifty in IPL

The elder Pathan first came into the limelight when he made his international debut against Pakistan in the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa and played a small but vital role in winning the title for India. Yusuf Pathan, replacing Virender Sehwag, scored 15 runs off just 8 balls while opening the innings against the arch-rivals. 

After that Yusuf Pathan marked his name in the Indian Cricketing History. However, it was IPL and Shane Warne's guidance which filled him with confidence. Yusuf has also won the IPL thrice, once with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and twice with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). 

Yusuf Pathan’s association with the KKR has been a special one. The IPL 2014 game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad was a crucial one for them and had to chase down 161 within 15.2 overs to finish second on the points table. But KKR was struggling at 55/2 after 7.3 overs and in walked Yusuf. And the rest is history. He smacked the opposition bowlers to all parts of the ground to score the then fastest IPL fifty off just 15 balls.

3) Sunil Narine fastest fifty in IPL

The mystery spinner from West Indies has played the IPL from Kolkata Knight Riders from the beginning. Sunil Narine has been of the most important player of KKR with not only his bowling but also from his batting. However, his knock in 2017 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore has earned him the title of 'pinch-hitter'. Narine smashed 50 off 15 deliveries against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. His knock was dotted with six fours and four sixes. He reached his half-century with 4 sixes and 6 fours. 

4) Suresh Raina fastest fifty in IPL

Mr. IPL i.e. Suresh Raina needs hardly any introduction. Raina's success in the Indian Premier League helped MS Dhoni to become one of the most successful captains of the IPL along with Rohit Sharma. Raina has been a regular in the team and has amazed his fans with his captivating knocks over the years. One such knock, perhaps the knock of his life, came in the 2014 edition of the tournament. Chennai Super Kings were facing Kings XI Punjab in Qualifier 2. KXIP posted a mammoth total of 226 for 6 in the limited 20 overs, thanks to Sehwag's 122-off-58 balls.

Chasing a daunting 227 in a high-pressure game, Raina took off from the word go, taking the Punjab bowlers to the cleaners. Raina got to his fifty off just 16 balls - the fastest for CSK - and continued the carnage to score 87 off just 25 balls.

5) Chris Gayle fastest fifty in IPL

When we are talking about the fastest IPL 50, how can the Universe Boss not be on the list? When the giant of a man from Jamaica, Chris Gayle, took strike against Pune Warriors India (PWI) at Chinnaswamy stadium in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2013, one could have scarcely envisaged the merciless destruction that was about to take place.

Gayle smashed all over the park and reached his half-century on the 17th ball. As the innings progressed, he registered an individual tally of 175* in 66 deliveries against Pune Warriors India.

Batting at a strike rate of 265.15, Gayle struck a daunting tally of 30 boundaries, comprising 17 sixes and 13 fours, that pushed the RCB total over 260 by the end of the innings. 

6) Hardik Pandya  fastest fifty in IPL

Mumbai Indians batsman Hardik Pandya, hammered the fastest fifty (off 17 balls) in 2019 edition of the IPL, against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. Pandya went one better than Delhi Capitals' wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who earlier held the record for the quickest half-century, against the Mumbai Indians off 18 balls. Pandya was eventually caught off Harry Gurney for a 34-ball 91 comprising nine sixes and six fours.

7) Adam Gilchrist fastest fifty in IPL

One of the most successful and destructive wicket-keeper batsman of all time Adam Gilchrist showcased his captainship skills in the Indian Premier League. The Aussie wicket-keeper was the captain of Deccan Chargers (Now Sunrisers Hyderabad). Adam scored a match-winning 85 off just 35 balls against Delhi Daredevils in the IPL 2009 semi-final. He reached his milestone of the half-century in just 17 balls and responsibly led his side to the final of the 2nd edition of IPL as Deccan Chargers went on to lift the trophy for the first time. 

Also Read: IPL: CSK should release Dhoni if there's mega auction, says Chopra

8) Chris Morris fastest fifty in IPL

The South-African bowler emerged as an all-rounder for the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in IPL 2016. Morris made a statement with the bat in hand forcing the crowd at Feroz Shah Kotla to stand to its feat. Morris romped to a fifty off just 17 balls with one of the three consecutive sixes he hit off Dwayne Smith's bowling in the 16th over. He recorded the fastest fifty of 2016 IPL season. However, the Daredevils lost the match by 1 run. 

9) Nicholas Pooran fastest fifty in IPL

Nicholas Pooran was the shining star in the IPL 2020 clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The West Indies left-hander blasted a fifty off just 17 balls and it was the fastest in IPL 2020. His exhibition of hitting was breathtaking and it was highlighted in one over bowled by Abdul Samad in which he blasted four sixes and 28 runs were scored. However, the knock by Nicholas Pooran went in vain as Kings XI Punjab lost by 69 runs to continue languishing at the bottom.

10) Ishan Kishan fastest fifty in IPL

Ishan Kishan registered the joint second-fastest half-century of Vivo IPL 2018 for Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 41 of the tournament. Kishan came to bat in the 9th over after the dismissal of Suryakumar Yadav. He completed his second half-century of the season, in just 17 balls, in the 14th over of the innings. Kishan smashed Kuldeep Yadav for 4 consecutive sixes to bring up his 50.

Rohit Sharma was the focus of the night at his favourite ground, but Kishan stole the show away from him, smashing 62 off 21 with 5 fours and 6 sixes. Sunil Narine eventually got rid of him in the 15th over, but the damage was already done. Kishan also recorded the joint-fastest 50 in MI history, along with Kieron Pollard. Kishan and Pollard also share the record the fastest IPL fifty against Kolkata Knight Riders, while the record for the fastest IPL fifty at Eden Gardens still rests with Yusuf Pathan (15 balls).