T20 is an exhilarating format where the change in momentum can happen with just one or two overs.
The batters seem to be the ones who have understood this the best. They have been the ones to bring back the lost momentum by scoring fifties off a few balls.
Top five fastest fifties in IPL history
5. Yusuf Pathan (KKR): 15 balls vs SRH, 2014
The cricketing world was well aware of the fact that Yusuf Pathan was capable of doing big things. His 37-ball hundred in IPL 2010, for instance.
By 2014 he still had the power and skill but was not consistent with it at all. But Waiya made Hyderabad suffer.
Kolkata needed 161 runs to finish in the top two. While they started the chase with good runs, after the seventh over the situation was complicated.
Pathan joined the game at No. 4 when KKR had scored 55 for the loss of 2 wickets. He was a bit lucky, SRH dropped him twice before he was going to unleash his wickedness.
This was costly for the fielders because Pathan was ruthless with the bowlers. He smashed Parvez Rasool, Karn Sharma, and Dale Steyn with 5 boundaries and 7 sixes.
In fact, he reached his fifty off 15 balls to clear the doubts about his form. Even though he got out after scoring 72 runs, his innings made sure KKR got over the line.
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4. Romario Shepherd (RCB): 14 balls vs CSK, 2025
Bengaluru were struggling at 157 for 5 against Chennai. 15 balls were left in their innings when Romario Shepherd walked down to the pitch.
The Guyana all-rounder batted -14 of the 15 balls. And do you know the result? He hit 53 runs!
Shepherd first took 32 runs from Khaleel Ahmed’s over. Then it was Matheesha Pathirana who came in for 2 fours and 2 maximums.
As Shepherd hit for six on the last ball, he reached his first IPL fifty in 14 balls. His bombardment made it possible for Bengaluru to put up 213 runs.
3. Pat Cummins (KKR): 14 balls vs MI, 2022
Are you surprised to see Pat Cummins on this list in the third position? Well, he demonstrated his explosive batting capabilities in IPL 2022.
Kolkata struggled at 101 for 5 when the Australian fast bowler came in at No. 7. KKR still had seven overs to get the remaining runs, and the target set by MI was 162.
Cummins, however, turned the whole scenario. He began his innings with a six and a four to keep alive the hopes of the Kolkata team in the process.
Jasprit Bumrah had no choice but to suffer the same fate. And then the boundaries rained down in the 16th over.
The over started with Cummins 6, 4, 6, 6 and he was almost out on the fifth ball. A no-ball at waist-height helped him and he soon got his 14-ball fifty from the next ball.
At the end of the over, with zeroes on the clock, a six from Cummins not only won the match for KKR but also took him to an unbeaten 56 off 15.
2. KL Rahul (PBKS): 14 balls vs DC, 2018
IPL had entered its 11th season and KL Rahul was the one to give the team a great start. He went beyond Pathan’s score and opened his account.
Rahul didn’t take much time when he had to chase 167 runs. He made good use of the powerplay periods and went on to hit a lot of boundaries which was quite a surprise coming from him!
The Delhi bowlers, Trent Boult and Mohammed Shami, were at Rahul’s mercy. The magician of spinning Amit Mishra was being hit for 24 and soon the 50 made off the 14th ball.
Rahul’s innings ended with him scoring 51 two balls later but he had already inflicted the damage. The Punjab side was the one to walk away with the victory in the end, having won by six wickets.
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR): 13 balls vs KKR, 2023
Yashasvi Jaiswal surpassed both Rahul and Cummins to take the first position. He achieved the unlikely feat of a 13-ball half-century and thus, made IPL history.
The match was with Kolkata Knight Riders. He was wearing a Rajasthan Royals jersey while trying to score 150 runs.
It was not a good-batting surface, the ball was very unpredictable. But to Jaiswal, it didn’t matter, because he was already on his way to scoring quick runs.
The batsman lit up the match for RR by scoring 26 runs from the very first over. Although he was able to lose one of his partners, the southpaw did not stop his destruction and reached 50 in just three overs!
A start that fast resulted in RR completing the chase in less than 13 overs, with Jaiswal still at the crease on 98 runs.
