Making an international debut in cricket is a moment worth celebrating for any player. And some players celebrate their debut in style, slamming a rapid fifty with the bat.
In this article, we’ll list the 5 fastest fifties smashed by batters on their ODI debuts.
5. Andries Gous (USA): 37 balls vs UAE, 2024
Andries Gous, a South African import, couldn’t get an opportunity to play for his birth country. But he made a remarkable start to his ODI career by representing the United States of America (USA).
Gous smashed a 37-ball fifty on his ODI debut against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on September 18, 2024. He opened the innings for the USA while chasing a paltry target of 107 runs.
The opener started by slamming a string of fours, showcasing his intent early on. Gous continued the momentum and reached his maiden fifty in 37 balls with a four.
He remained unbeaten on 66 as the USA swept the target with 10 wickets in hand.
4. John Morris (England): 35 balls vs New Zealand, 1990
John Morris had a brief international career for England, where he featured in 8 ODIs for them. But the middle-order batter had a memorable start to his career.
Playing in his debut match against New Zealand in 1990, Morris displayed his aggressive batting when 7 other batters were dismissed in single digits.
He brought up his maiden half-century in 35 balls while chasing the target of 200 runs. Despite that, Morris couldn’t take his side over the ropes as England fell short by 7 runs.
3. Ishan Kishan (India): 33 balls vs Sri Lanka, 2021
2021 was a wonderful year for Ishan Kishan, as he scored a fifty on T20I debut in April and followed it up with another fifty on ODI debut in July.
His ODI debut came against Sri Lanka, when most of the senior players were rested for the series. India were chasing a target of 263 and Kishan stepped up in the No. 3 position, smashing a 33-ball maiden half-century.
The keeper-batter built an 85-run stand with captain Shikhar Dhawan before his dismissal on 59 runs. His knock came at a strike rate of 140.47 and included 8 fours and 2 sixes.
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2. Alick Athanaze (West Indies): 26 balls vs UAE, 2023
Alick Athanaze is a talented batter among the current crop from the West Indies. And he showed his glimpse on his ODI debut against the UAE in 2023.
Athanaze opened the inning for the West Indies in a run chase of 185 runs. He was the aggressor among the 2 openers, taking bowlers to the cleaners.
Athanaze raced away to his maiden fifty in 26 balls, equalling the record for the fastest fifty on ODI debut.
1. Krunal Pandya (India): 26 balls vs England, 2021
Before Alick Athanaze’s stormy knock, India’s Krunal Pandya rewrote history books with his 26-ball maiden half-century on debut against England in 2021.
Unlike his younger brother Hardik Pandya, Krunal hasn’t made an impact on the global level. But the all-rounder had a memorable outing while coming to bat at No. 7 on his ODI debut.
With almost 10 overs to go in the innings, India were looking to finish with a good total. India were on 205 for 5 when Krunal walked in and finished on 317 for 5 in 50 overs.
Krunal went on a rampage mode, targeting the English pacers for boundaries. In no time, he blasted his half-century in 26 balls, making it the fastest fifty on ODI debut by a batter.
Krunal’s audacious knock of an unbeaten 58 runs proved crucial for India as they beat England by 66 runs.
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