IPL 2018: Top 10 fastest fifties in the Indian Premier League

Indian Premier League (IPL) has begun on a bright note and, even after just three matches, you can feel the excitement and buzz. IPL cricket is synonymous with slam-bang cricket and invariably you will see sixes flying all over the place. Kings XI Punjab’s KL Rahul on Sunday, against Delhi Daredevils, wrote his name into history books by slamming the fastest 50 in IPL history.

Here’s look at Top 10 fastest fifties in IPL:

1. KL Rahul:

Kannur Lokesh Rahul of Karnataka occupies the top spot. When you think of T20 cricket, Rahul’s name doesn’t come to mind, but Rahul scored his half-century off just 14 balls and became the player to score fastest fifty in the IPL history. Rahul attacked from the beginning and took a special liking to Delhi’s leg-spinner Amit Mishra and gave Punjab a rapid start.

2. Yusuf Pathan:

Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan occupies the second by scoring the fifty in just 15 balls. Pathan achieved this feat while playing for Kolkata Knight Riders against SRH in 2014 in his typical style. Pathan went after every bowler and hit Dale Steyn for 26 in an over.

3. Sunil Narine:

West Indies mystery spinner Sunil Narine features on this list by striking his fifty in just 15 balls. Narine achieved this milestone against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2017. Narine doesn’t complicate things much and hits the ball very hard and took a liking to helpless RCB bowling attack, adding more misery to Virat Kohli.

4. Suresh Raina:

Chennai Super Kings’ jewel Suresh Raina comes at No 4 by scoring his fifty in 16 balls. Raina doesn’t have brute strength or big biceps but relies on timing and placement. Raina achieved this milestone against Kings XI Punjab in 2014, but CSK lost the match and Raina’s 87 off 25 balls went in vain.

5. Chris Gayle:

The universal boss i.e. Chris Gayle scored his fifty off just 17 balls versus now-defunct Pune Warriors India in 2013. It was the same match where Gayle scored 175 runs (highest T20 score) and scared the living day-night out of Pune bowlers.

6. Adam Gilchrist:

Former Australian and Deccan Chargers captain Adam Gilchrist scored his fifty off 17 balls against Delhi Daredevils in 2009. Gilchrist’s knock came in the semi-finals against red-hot favourites Delhi and this knock helped Chargers reach the finals for the first time.

7. Chris Morris:

South African all-rounder Chris Morris also scored his fifty off 17 balls in 2016 against Gujarat Lions. Morris came to the crease at a very difficult time and, despite trying his level best, Daredevils lost the match by one run.

8. Kieron Pollard:

Windies all-rounder Kieron Pollard is a quintessential T20 player and it’s no surprise that he features in this list. Pollard also scored his fifty in 17 balls against KKR and showed his great power range. Pollard might not be cool and classy as Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, but more often than not he gets the job done.

9. Sunil Narine:

 

Sunil Narine and RCB have a connection, don’t they? Narine on Sunday (April 8, 2018) once again struck fifty off 17 balls and gave KKR a blazing start. Narine is not a proper batsman, but plays with swagger and confidence. If your name features twice in top 10, then you must be doing something right.

10. Chris Lynn:

Sunil Narine’s partner in crime and his opening partner, Australian Chris Lynn, rounds off the top 10 list. Lynn is a monstrous hitter of a cricket ball and scored his fifty off just 19 balls against Gujarat Lions in 2017. Lynn, after this innings, started trending on social media and was given the tag of ‘Lynnsanity’.