Since the inception of IPL in 2008, many cricketers have scored half-centuries in matches, but only a handful of them have managed to score it with the minimum number of deliveries.
Pat Cummins rewrote history after scoring the fastest joint half-century in a recent match against Mumbai Kings in the 15th edition of IPL. In the 14th match of IPL 2022 as things were going Mumbai Indian’s way, Pat Cummins cracked an unbelievable 15-ball 56 to steer KKR to a five-wicket win while chasing 162 runs.
The Australian test skipper is holding this record alongside KL Rahul who hit blistering 51 runs in 14 balls in a match against Delhi Capitals in 2018. Until 2018, the record was jointly held by Yusuf Pathan and Sunil Narine who scored 50 runs off 15 balls.
Here is a look at the top 10 fastest half-centuries in the Indian Premier League.
1. Pat Cummins/KL Rahul 14-ball fifty (2022, 2018)
Pat Cummins proved to be the game-changer in a chase against Mumbai Indians that had just got tense. The Kolkata Knight Riders allrounder hammered an unbeaten 56 off just 15 balls to utterly stun the Mumbai Indians. As they suffered their third straight loss of IPL 2022 and Daniel Sams recorded the third-most-expensive over (35) in IPL history.
| Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| 56* | 15 | 4 | 6 | 373.33 |
Meanwhile, it was in 2018 in a match between Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Capitals that the newly appointed Punjab skipper, KL Rahul hammered a fifty off 14 balls while chasing a total of 166. With the help of subsequent fifties from Rahul and Karun Nair Kings XI won the match by 6 wickets. He scored 24 off six balls from Mishra, 16 off seven from Trent Boult, and 11 off three from Mohammed Shami.
He was on 27 off 9 balls when Amit Mishra began the third over of Kings XI’s innings. He reached his half-century off the fifth ball of the over, pacing off to the mark by hitting 4, 6, 6, 4, 4. Rahul’s half-century was the third-fastest in all T20 cricket.
| Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| 51 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 318.75 |
2. Yusuf Pathan: 15-ball fifty vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (2014)
Yusuf Pathan can be a brutal hitter capable of changing matches in a matter of minutes, as he famously showed during a game against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens. The power-hitter from Kolkata Knight Riders smashed a 15-ball half-century in 2014 while chasing a score of 160.
The Right-hander hammered 72 off 22 balls to pave the way for Kolkata’s win which secured them the top-two spot. The veteran’s innings included 7 sixes and 5 fours and earned him the player of the match. Later KKR went on to win the title the same season against Kings XI Punjab. Pathan contributed 36 off 22 in the same match.
| Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| 72 | 22 | 5 | 7 | 327.27 |
3. Sunil Narine: 15-ball fifty vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (2017)
Another fastest fifty came again from the KKR’s squad in 2017. Courtesy of all-rounder Sunil Narine who blasted 54 off 17 while chasing 158 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The mystery spinner’s innings was laced with 4 sixes and 6 fours with a strike rate of 317.64. He also bagged two scalps in the first innings. Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn made a mockery of the RCB’s bowling with an aggressive 105-run opening stand. The score of 105 was a record for the highest powerplay in not just the IPL but in all T20 matches.
Narine came alive in the fourth over by hammering Samuel Badree for three sixes and a four. Adding to RCB’s misery further, he smashed Sreenath Aravind for 4 sixes and a six, in the fifth over, to record his fastest fifty. On the other hand, Chris Lynn produced his fifty in 22 balls taking Kolkata for the win with 6 wickets in hand. The deployment of Narine in the opening pair played an integral part in Knight Riders’ path to the IPL playoffs that year. He amassed 224 Runs in 14 innings with a brilliant strike rate of 172.
| Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| 54 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 317.64 |
4. Suresh Raina: 16-ball fifty vs Kings XI Punjab (2014)
‘Mr. IPL’ Suresh Raina scored a 16-ball half-century against Kings XI Punjab at Wankhede Stadium in 2014. His half-century came while chasing a massive total of 226 runs. Deemed as one of the greatest IPL performances of all time, the left-hander blasted 87 runs off 25 deliveries. The CSK batsman went at a strike rate of 348 and took his team to 100 in just six overs. But still, his efforts went in vain as Chennai Super Kings lost the chase by 24 runs. His innings included 12 fours and 6 sixes.
To put things in perspective only seven of the 25 balls that Raina faced didn’t find the boundary at the Wankhede Stadium. Until then, no other team had made as many runs in the powerplay in T20 cricket. Later this record was broken by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017.
| Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| 87 | 25 | 12 | 6 | 348.00 |
5. Ishan Kishan: 16-ball fifty vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (2021)
One of the costliest picks of the Indian Premier League this year, Ishan Kishan scored a dazzling 16-ball half-century against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in 2021. His fifty came while Mumbai was setting up a total to defend. The 23-year old mustered 84 off 32 with 11 fours and 4 sixes to take Mumbai to a defending total of 235.
Mumbai Indians won the match by 42 runs and recorded their highest total in the IPL, surpassing 223 for 6 against Kings XI Punjab in 2017. Meanwhile, Kishan’s fifty became a benchmark for the franchise as earlier Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard had earned their fastest fifty’s in 17 balls.
| Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| 84 | 32 | 11 | 4 | 262.50 |
6. Kieron Pollard: 17-ball fifty vs Kolkata Knight Riders (2016)
The West Indies all-rounder remained unbeaten to take Mumbai for the win against Kolkata Knight Riders while chasing 174. Kieron Pollard marched out at the fall of the fourth wicket and hammered 51 off 17, including two fours and six mighty sixes, to see his side home with two overs to spare.
The short boundaries at Wankhede made it look effortless as Pollard swung three sixes and a four in the 16th over from R Sathish converting it for 23 Runs. Two overs later, he hit three more sixes off Jaydev Unadkat to take Mumbai to their fourth win of the season.
| Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| 51* | 17 | 2 | 6 | 300.00 |
7. Chris Gayle: 17-ball fifty vs Pune Warriors India (2013)
The Universe boss destroyed the bowling of Pune Warriors India in 2013 by scoring a 17- ball half-century and went on to score a brutal 175-runs from just 66 balls. This remains the highest individual score in the history of the league. Ishwar Pandey was almost dumbfounded after being hit for five fours in his over. After his fifty, it took him 13 more deliveries to turn it into a hundred.
Aaron Finch also chanced his arm against Gayle but was taken for 23 runs in his maiden over. Later the same treatment was given to every bowler that came in front of Gayle. His innings was laced with 13 fours and 17 humongous sixes. This helped Royal Challengers Bangalore defeat Pune Warriors by a massive difference of 130 runs. Gayle’s 17 sixes was a record at that time which he himself broke when he hit 18 for Rangpur Riders against Dhaka Dynamites in 2017.
| Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| 175* | 66 | 13 | 17 | 265.15 |
8. Hardik Pandya: 17-ball fifty vs Kolkata Knight Riders (2019)
Hardik Pandya scored his fastest fifty against Kolkata Knight Riders while chasing a total of 232 in Kolkata. The Eden Gardens saw two breathtaking performances, one from Russell in KKR’s first inning and one from Pandya while chasing, but the better one actually ended up on the losing side. The Gujarat Titans skipper scored 91 off 34 with a strike rate of 267.64. His knock included 15 boundaries. But the lack of support from the other end cost Mumbai their match.
To give a better perspective, when Hardik came in at No. 6, Mumbai’s run rate was 6.96 and the required rate was 15 per over. While the batsmen at the other end of the crease scored 31 off 24 with a strike rate of 129.16, he was scoring at 267.64. Hardik totally outclassed the performance of Russell (80 off 40) for KKR but was unfortunate to be on the losing side.
| Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| 91 | 34 | 6 | 9 | 267.64 |
9. Adam Gilchrist: 17-ball fifty vs Delhi Daredevils (2009)
The captain of Deccan Chargers, Adam Gilchrist scored a 17-ball fifty against Delhi Daredevils in the 2009 semi-finals. Chasing a score of 153 the Australian hammered 85 off 35 which included 10 fours and 5 sixes. With the help of the gloveman, Deccan Chargers won the match by 6 wickets at Centurion.
Gilchrist played a pivotal role in bringing the Chargers who finished at the bottom in the inaugural season of IPL to the 2009 semi-finals as he treated Centurion to a stunning display of hitting. Dirk Nannes was hit for five consecutive boundaries in the first over. Later Pradeep Sangwan received the same treatment with his first three balls being hit for 4, 4, and 6.
| Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| 85 | 35 | 10 | 5 | 242.85 |
10. Chris Morris: 17-ball fifty vs Gujarat Lions (2016)
Chris Morris thrashed Gujarat Lions with a 17-ball half-century at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. The South African all-rounder remained unbeaten for 82* but failed to take Delhi Daredevils across the winning line, as they fell short of a single. Chasing a total of 172 he thrashed 8 sixes and 4 fours.
The million-dollar man walked to the crease at No. 6 with 116 needed off 56. Three consecutive sixes against Dwayne Bravo in the 17th over sealed his 17 ball-fifty and left Daredevils needing 29 off 18. Very few of his big hits were mistimed, but a lot of them came as a result of his being able to get under the ball. But the limelight was stolen from him as Praveen Kumar and Dwayne Bravo gave away only 16 off the final two overs to pull off a one-run win for the Lions.
| Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| 82 | 32 | 4 | 8 | 256.25 |
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