IPL 2021: 5 fastest fifties in IPL history
The IPL has seen some exceptional batting performances that have enthralled all and sundry over the years.
Smashing the ball out of the stadium, be it during the powerplay, middle overs, or the death, many a batsman has feasted on hapless bowlers in the IPL.
Five fastest fifties in IPL history
There have been 21 different instances of a player scoring an IPL fifty in under 20 balls. On that note, let's have a look at the five fastest fifties in the history of the IPL.
#5 Rishabh Pant & Jos Buttler (18 balls)
Jos Buttler and Rishabh Pant are considered two of the most fearsome strikers of the ball in the game.
Pant smashed the Mumbai Indians bowling attack all across the Wankhede Stadium to bring up his fastest IPL fifty off just 18 deliveries in 2019. Meanwhile, Jos Buttler also scored an 18-ball fifty, doing so in IPL 2018.
#4 Eight different players (17 balls)
Chris Gayle, Hardik Pandya, Adam Gilchrist, Chris Morris, Nicholas Pooran, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard & Sunil Narine
As many as eight different players have registered 17-ball fifties in the IPL. The group contains four West Indies players - Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell.
In most of these instances, the team of the player scoring a 17-ball fifty went on to win the game.
#3 Suresh Raina (16 balls)
Suresh Raina is one the key players for CSK. Right from the inaugural season of the competition, the left-hander has played some impressive knocks with the bat.
During a game against the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in IPL 2014, Suresh Raina was in red-hot form and played one of the most entertaining knocks in competition history.
He took off from the word go, toying with the Punjab attack to reach his half-century off just 16 deliveries. Continuing his carnage, Raina scored 87 off just 25 deliveries before he was run out - the only way he could have been dismissed on the day.
It was a shame CSK fell short despite Suresh Raina's blitzkrieg.
#2 Yusuf Pathan and Sunil Narine (15 balls)
Yusuf Pathan is one of the most destructive batsmen the IPL has ever seen.
The middle-order batsman holds the record of the joint-second fastest fifty in IPL history.
Playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2014, Pathan smashed a quickfire 72, reaching his half century in just 15 deliveries.
KKR's mystery spinner Sunil Narine has also scored a 15-ball fifty in the IPL.
In a knock that consisted of four sixes and as many fours, Narine got to his half-century off just 15 deliveries in an IPL 2017 game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
#1 KL Rahul (14 balls)
KL Rahul has a dazzling record in the IPL. The Punjab Kings captain holds the record of the fastest half-century in competition history.
In an IPL 2018 against the Delhi capitals, KL Rahul looked unstoppable, reaching his fifty off just 14 deliveries to record the fastest 50 in the history of the IPL.
Thanks to his exploits, Punjab overhauled a 16-7-run target with six wickets to spare.