We have seen over the years how Indian Premier League has played host to the best of batsmen across the world choosing this domestic extravaganza to express their hard-hitting flair. Even asking rate of 15 plus has been achieved effortlessly through some dynamic knocks from the best athletes.
With the scoring rate of batsmen upped by leaps and bounds, we will look at the five fastest half-centuries in Indian Premier League that stayed witness to some explosive batting and in-depth expressive stroke play.
- KL Rahul – 14 balls
It was a battle of the fittest players of the tournament as Kings XI Punjab was up against Delhi Daredevils in the second game of the tournament in 2018. Daredevils batted first as they managed to rack up 166 for 7, thanks to some stormy knocks from Gambhir, Pant and Morris.
With a formidable total on board, Punjab went for the kill right from the word go as KL Rahul was in for a spectacular. Lasting only for 5 overs, Rahul blasted 51 runs that came off only 16 deliveries. He managed to reach his half-century within just 14 balls, making him the fastest half-centurion in the tournament.
His innings comprised 6 boundaries and 4 over-boundaries as he laid the platform for Punjab to easily chasing the remaining runs. Karun Nair, David Miller and Marcus Stoinis saw the team through with some decent performance.
- Yusuf Pathan – 15 balls
The hardest-hitter of the tournament, Yusuf Pathan chose this game to be evidence of his carnage that he has been inflicting on the hapless bowlers right since his inception. In a must-win situation for KKR, they were wobbling at 55 for 2 when Pathan walked in. To make matters more complicated, Robin Uthappa and Ryan Ten Doeschate also walked back to the pavilion in quick succession, leaving KKR at 78 for 4.
This is when Pathan realized that there is no point in holding back and started freeing his arms. Such was the magnificence of his onslaught that the Baroda-based all-rounder notched up his half-century within just 15 balls and almost single-handedly took KKR across the finishing line. Belting out five 4’s and seven 6’s, Pathan was finally dismissed for 72 from 22 deliveries, when KKR was 8 runs shy of their target with more than 6 overs to spare.
- Sunil Narine – 15 balls
This was one of Narine’s best knocks with the bat as KKR ravaged Royal Challengers Bangalore in a lopsided encounter. With 159 to chase from 20 overs, Narine and Chris Lynn went for the kill right since the very beginning.
Lynn contributed with sustained brilliance while the Caribbean spinner straight away went for the onslaught. He managed to reach his half-century within just 15 balls and was finally dismissed for 54 when Choudhary got the better of him, tempting him to play a ball that angled away from the southpaw. In the process of his breezy half-century, Narine smashed six 4’s and four 6’s while Lynn blasted 50 off just 22 balls to bring KKR in inching distance of victory.
Grandhomme and Gambhir helped the team to walk past the finishing line with consummate ease.
- Suresh Raina – 16 balls
This was a tragic affair for Suresh Raina who fired probably one of the best knocks of all time in his glittering IPL career. With 226 on the board that already witnessed a fine century from Virender Sehwag, Chennai was sent reeling with Du Plessis removed very early in the game.
Raina walked in and started with his pyrotechnics that saw Chennai achieving 100 runs within just 6 overs, making matters far easier for the men in yellow. Notching up his half-century from just 16 deliveries, the southpaw battered the Delhi bowlers mercilessly.
Much to his dismay, he was run out of 87 from 25 deliveries, smashing 12 boundaries and 6 over-boundaries that made up 96 per cent of his total runs.
Despite such dynamicity from Raina, Chennai slowed down in the remaining over and ultimately fell short by 24 runs.
- Chris Gayle – 17 balls
This was the biggest knock of the tournament as Gayle hammered an unbeaten 175 against Pune Warriors and Bangalore managed to post the highest total of the tournament. Right since his arrival, he went on to score at flying pace, bludgeoning the bowlers beyond recognition.
He notched up his half-century within just 17 deliveries and imposed further misery on the Pune bowlers as he blasted a brilliant inning with sheer brute power and dominance. He smashed 13 boundaries and 17 sixes in that monumental knock of his.
Pune was restricted to 133 runs which gave Bangalore a 130 runs victory, which is by far the highest in Indian Premier League.
