IPL 2022: Top 3 fastest 50s in the tournament's history
The IPL is the biggest T20 league in the world, where the best cricketers compete against one another. It is not everyone's cup of tea to achieve success in a tournament like the Indian Premier League.
Over the years, quite a few experienced players have failed to impress in the tournament. One of the primary skills required for a batter to succeed in this competition is the ability to score runs quickly. The reason why the likes of Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers are considered IPL greats is because they scored big and did so at a fantastic strike rate.
Aggressive batters have always been in demand in the IPL. If the batter can play with consistency, then he can rule the bowlers in the tournament. Speaking of aggressive batters, we will now take a look at the top three fastest 50s slammed by batters in Indian Premier League history.
#3 Suresh Raina and Ishan Kishan - 16 balls
Former Indian batter Suresh Raina and current Indian wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan jointly hold the third spot on the list. Raina smashed a 16-ball half-century for the Chennai Super Kings in a Qualifier 2 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) during the 2014 season. Raina ended with 87 runs off just 25 deliveries in that game.
Seven years later, Kishan leveled Raina's record with a 16-ball 50 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the UAE. Opening the innings for Mumbai Indians (MI) in a must-win league match, Kishan blasted a 84-run knock to blow away the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling line-up.
While Raina's half-ton ended in a losing cause against PBKS, Kishan's magnificent performance powered MI to a big win.
#2 Sunil Narine and Yusuf Pathan - 15 balls
Yusuf Pathan and Sunil Narine jointly hold the second position, having scored a 50 each off 15 deliveries once in their IPL careers. Pathan accomplished the feat in a crucial league match for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014. He scored 72 off just 22 to help KKR chase 161 runs in 14.2 overs.
Three seasons later, Narine leveled Pathan's record with a 15-ball 50 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru. Opening the innings with Chris Lynn, Narine added 105 runs for the first wicket in just six overs. Narine smashed six fours and four sixes in his entertaining knock.
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#1 Pat Cummins and KL Rahul - 14 balls
In the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Pat Cummins has leveled KL Rahul's record for the quickest 50 by a player. Cummins destroyed the Mumbai Indians bowling attack with a 14-ball 50 on Wednesday. He turned the match upside down and helped KKR defeat MI by five wickets with four overs to spare.
Four years ago, KL Rahul scored a 14-ball 50 against the Delhi Capitals to help the Punjab Kings chase a 167-run target. Rahul's knock consisted of six fours and four sixes.