Ruturaj Gaikwad's top 5 fastest fifties in the IPL ft. 2025 vs MI

Riding on a sensational half-century from captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and a four-wicket haul by Noor Ahmad, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) began their IPL 18 campaign on a winning note. They defeated arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI) by four wickets in the third match of the season.

The bowling unit stood tall as they restricted MI to an under-par score of 155. It was only a late-order blitz from a former CSK player Deepak Chahar, which propelled them to a competitive score but it didn't turn out to be enough in the end. The yellow army had to toil hard but a quickfire fifty from Ruturaj Gaikwad laid the foundation for the chase.

Over the years, Ruturaj has transformed himself into a terrific T20 player and has molded his game according to modern requirements. He might not be an out-and-out attacking batter but in the last couple of years, he has improved his strike rate drastically to remain relevant to how the modern-day batters play.

He started his IPL career with CSK in 2020 and went on to become the captain of the franchise which clearly suggests how much the team management has trusted him. He scored his fastest IPL fifty in the match against MI which came off 22 deliveries.

On that note, let us have a look at the five fastest fifties by Ruturaj in IPL:

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#5 33 balls vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2022

In the first couple of years of his IPL career, Gaikwad used to take his time initially and build an innings before pressing on the accelerator towards the end. That is mainly the reason why some of his earlier fifties weren't as fast as the ones which he has registered in the last couple of years.

It was against the SunRisers Hyderabad back in 2022 when Gaikwad scored a 33-ball 50 and eventually went on to score 99, taking his side to a 13-run win. It was a gritty knock from the stylish right-hander who initially took his time before getting the ball rolling.

He has also scored two more fifties off 33 balls but since he had scored the maximum runs against SRH in this particular innings, this knock was considered above the rest two. He was dismissed for 99, an innings which was studded with six fours and as many maximums.

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#4 27 balls vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2024

Gaikwad’s fourth fastest fifty came against the SunRisers last year when his brilliant knock of 98 orchestrated a resounding 78-run win for the yellow army. Gaikwad set the ball rolling right from the outset and utilized the fielding restrictions perfectly.

He is someone who loves finding the gaps in the powerplay rather than going aerial and it was exactly what he did in that match. He raced off to his fifty in 27 deliveries and laid the foundation for the power hitters to go big. Ruturaj eventually scored 98 off 54 deliveries, including 10 fours and three sixes.

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#3 25 balls vs Lucknow Super Giants in 2023

Gaikwad scored a 25-ball fifty against LSG in 2023. Source: Getty

Gaikwad has been more flamboyant and has looked to score runs at a rapid pace in the last two-three years. He scored a quickfire half-century against LSG in 2023, which came off just 25 deliveries. Batting first, CSK posted a massive score of 217 and the foundation was laid by the opener Ruturaj Gaikwad.

He found the boundaries on a consistent basis in the powerplay but unlike his previous knocks, he couldn't quite convert his fifty into a big score. Gaikwad reached his fifty off just 25 deliveries and struck one more boundary before perishing on 57. His knock was studded with three boundaries and four sixes. CSK went on to win the match by 12 runs.

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#2 23 balls vs Gujarat Titans in 2023

Rururaj Gaikwad plays a lofted shot against GT in 2023. Source: Getty

Back in 2023, Ruturaj Gaikwad scored his second-fastest IPL fifty against the Gujarat Titans in the opening match of the season. He came out firing all cylinders and provided a blistering start to CSK after being put into bat by Hardik Pandya.

Gaikwad began with a flurry of boundaries in the powerplay and there was no stopping the opening batter. He played traditional cricket strokes besides taking the aerial route on a few occasions.

He was severe against both pacers and spinners and went on to reach the 50-run landmark in the ninth over. Gaikwad’s knock took CSK to a competitive score of 178 but it didn't prove enough in the end as GT chased down the target with four deliveries to spare.

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#1 22 balls vs Mumbai Indians, 2025

It was a magical start from the CSK captain as the yellow army began their campaign in the 18th season with a bang, beating Mumbai Indians in a thrilling contest. After the bowlers did their job by restricting MI to an under-par score of 155, Gaikwad played a stunning knock coming out to bat at number three.

He sacrificed his usual opening position to Rahul Tripathi and showed the maturity of a good leader. On a pitch where stroke-making didn't look all that easy, Gaikwad started toying with the MI bowlers right after his arrival.

It was exhilarating stroke play and none of the MI bowlers could stop him. He reached his fastest IPL fifty off just 22 deliveries but couldn't quite convert it into a massive one. He was eventually dismissed by debutant Vignesh Puthur for 53 which came off 26 deliveries and included 6 fours and three maximums.