6 fastest fifties in IPL history ft. Yashasvi Jaiswal

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) hammered the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by nine wickets in a one-sided encounter in Kolkata on May 11. With the result, KKR slipped to the seventh place while RR climbed to the third spot.

Batting first, KKR managed to muster a total of 149/8 at the end of their 20 overs. The KKR batting effort was headlined by Venkatesh Iyer (57 runs off 42 balls), who played a measured knock for his side. However, he failed to find support fron anybody as RR put in not just an excellent bowling performance but an equally impressive fielding effort. The pick of the bowlers for RR were Yuzvendra Chahal (4 - 0 - 25 - 4) and Trent Boult (3 - 0 - 15 - 2). It was a special day for Chahal as he became the highest wicket-taker in the history of the IPL, surpassing Dwayne Bravo.

In reply, RR were off to a flyer, courtesy Yashasvi Jaiswal who took the attack to the opposition from the word go. In spite of the early loss of Jos Buttler, who sacrificed his wicket for Jaiswal, RR barely broke any sweat as captain Sanju Samson and Jaiswal posted an unbeaten 121-run stand to finish the game for RR. For the KKR, bowlers it was a forgettable outing as Yashasvi Jaiswal recorded the fastest half-century in the history of the IPL.

On that note, let’s take a look at the top 6 fifties in the history of the IPL.

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#1 Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR) vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2023

Having a below-par chase of 150, Yashasvi Jaiswal (98* runs off 47 balls) opened the innings with Jos Buttler. Jaiswal came out all guns blazing as he tore into the hapless KKR attack from the first ball. The youngster completed his half-century off just 13 balls, in a 'blitzkreig' that earned praise from all corners of the cricketing fraternity including Indian star Virat Kohli. Jaiswal fell two runs short of his second century this season, even as RR chased down the target with 41 balls to spare.

The youngster struck 12 fours and 5 maximums in his whirlwind knock that came at a strike-rate of 208.51. In 12 matches this year, the opener has struck 575 runs at a strike-rate of 167.15 and an average of 52.27. The Mumbai lad is surely a bright prospect for Indian cricket in the years to come.

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#2 KL Rahul (PBKS) vs Delhi Capitals, IPL 2018

KL Rahul (51 runs off 16 balls) was in the form of his life in IPL 2018 as he struck the fastest fifty in the history of the competition. He took just 14 balls to reach the landmark as he struck 6 boundaries and 4 maximums in his innings.

He ended his innings at a strike-rate of 318.75 and provided the platform for an easy 6-wicket for his side that was chasing 167.

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#3 Pat Cummins (KKR) vs Mumbai Indians, IPL 2022

Pat Cummins (56* off 15 balls) matched Rahul's performance as he struck an unbeaten half-century against MI, guiding his side to an easy 5-wicket win with 4 overs to spare.

The Australian struck 4 fours and 6 sixes, with a strike-rate of 373.33. In the same match, Cummins picked up the crucial wickets of Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav with the ball.

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#4 Yusuf Pathan (KKR) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2014

Veteran Indian all-rounder, Yusuf Pathan (72 runs off 22 balls) etched his name in IPL history, scoring the 2nd fastest half-century in the competition. The hard-hitting batter completed his half-century in just 15 balls.

He struck 5 boundaries and 7 maximums in his knock and had a strike-rate of 327.27. His effort was instrumental as KKR chased down SRH's target in just 14.2 overs.

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#5 Sunil Narine (KKR) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL 2017

Chasing a below-par 159 on a flat M. Chinnaswamy wicket, Sunil Narine (54 runs off just 17 balls) struck the joint second-fastest fifty. He coupled with Chris Lynn (50 runs off 22 balls) to amass a whopping 105 runs in the powerplay.

Narine struck 6 fours and 4 sixes with a strike rate of 317.65 and completed his half-century in just 15 balls as his team chased down the RCB total with 29 balls to spare.

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#6 Nicholas Pooran (LSG) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL 2023

Chasing 213, LSG were kept in the game via a half-century from Marcus Stoinis. However, it was Pooran (62 runs off 19 balls), who took the game away from RCB.

The West Indian completed his half-century in just 15 balls as he guided his team to an improbable last-ball win. The left-handed batter struck 4 fours and 7 sixes and completed his innings with a strike-rate of 326.32.

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Which amongst these was your favorite knock? Let us know in the comments section below.