T20 is a high-flying format. An over or two can change a game’s momentum completely.
Batters, perhaps, know this pretty well. And we’ve seen them turn the tide with their fifties scored off a few balls.
In this piece, we’ll list the top five fastest fifties scored in IPL history.
5. Yusuf Pathan (KKR): 15 balls vs SRH, 2014
Everyone knew what Yusuf Pathan was capable of. Remember his 37-ball ton in IPL 2010?
Fast forward to 2014, and he wasn’t in his element. But Pathan rose to the occasion against Hyderabad.
Kolkata needed 161 runs to finish in the top two. While they started the chase well, things became tough after the seventh over.
Pathan walked in at No. 4 with KKR on 55 for 2. Before he went on a rampage, SRH fielders dropped him twice.
And this turned out to be a costly affair, as Pathan didn’t spare a bowler. He clobbered Parvez Rasool, Karn Sharma, and Dale Steyn for 5 boundaries and 7 sixes.
In between, Pathan completed his fifty off 15 balls to turn back the clock. Although he fell on 72 runs, his knock ensured KKR won the match.
4. Romario Shepherd (RCB): 14 balls vs CSK, 2025
Bengaluru were struggling at 157 for 5 against Chennai. Fifteen balls were left in their innings when Romario Shepherd strode out on the pitch.
The Guyanese all-rounder faced 14 of the 15 balls. And guess what? He hammered 53 runs off them!
Shepherd first fetched 32 runs off Khaleel Ahmed’s over. Then it was Matheesha Pathirana’s turn to get mauled for 2 fours and as many maximums.
As Shepherd hit the six on the last ball, he brought up his maiden IPL fifty in 14 balls. His carnage helped Bengaluru post 213 runs on board.
3. Pat Cummins (KKR): 14 balls vs MI, 2022
Surprised to see Pat Cummins’ name here? Well, he showed his pinch-hitting skills in IPL 2022.
With Kolkata in a tricky situation at 101 for 5, the Australian quick walked in at No. 7. KKR were 61 runs away from the 162-run target set by MI with seven overs left in hand.
Then, Cummins took matters into his own hands. He started with a six and a boundary to keep Kolkata alive in the chase.
He dealt with Jasprit Bumrah in the same fashion. And then came the barrage of boundaries in the 16th over.
Cummins went 6, 4, 6, 6 before almost getting out on the fifth delivery. But a waist-high no-ball saved him to give him a 14-ball fifty on the next delivery.
On the last ball of the over, Cummins took KKR home with a six, while he remained unbeaten on 56 off 15.
2. KL Rahul (PBKS): 14 balls vs DC, 2018
The IPL entered the 11th season, and KL Rahul provided the much-needed start. He shattered Pathan’s previous record to go one up.
With 167 runs to chase, Rahul didn’t waste too much time. He made the most of the powerplay conditions to go on a boundary-hitting spree – something we hadn’t seen before from him!
Rahul took Delhi’s pacers – Trent Boult and Mohammed Shami – to the cleaners. Then he tore apart Amit Mishra to clobber him for 24 runs and eventually complete his fifty off the 14th ball.
Rahul fell on 51 two balls later, but he had done most of the damage. Punjab later won the game with six wickets in hand.
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR): 13 balls vs KKR, 2023
Yashasvi Jaiswal went past Rahul and Cummins to seal the top spot. He raced away to a 13-ball half-century to create history in the IPL.
It was a game against Kolkata Knight Riders. He was out there in a Rajasthan Royals jersey to chase a 150-run target.
It wasn’t an easy surface to bat on, with the ball behaving unpredictably. But Jaiswal was in a hurry.
He gave a fiery start to RR by fetching 26 runs off the first over. While he lost his opening partner, the left-hander continued his carnage to raise his fifty within three overs!
Such a quick start meant RR finished the chase in almost 13 overs, while Jaiswal remained not out on 98.
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