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Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed the fastest fifty in Indian T20 League 2023 against Kolkata. His 13-ball effort en route to a match-winning knock of 98 not out saw him dazzle spectators with his strokeplay and made light work of the target as Rajasthan won the game in 13.1 overs with nine wickets to spare.

With Rajasthan needing to make 150 in their 20 overs, Yashasvi made his intentions clear with his belligerent hitting from the outset. His Player of the Match performance saw him finish on 98* from 57 balls in a knock that featured 12 fours and five sixes. 

It was the fastest fifty in Indian T20 League history as he bettered the previous record held by Pat Cummins and KL Rahul, both of whom have a 14-ball 50 to their name in the tournament.

Fastest fifties in Indian T20 League

Player (Team) Opponent Balls taken Year
Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan) Kolkata 13 2023
Pat Cummins (Kolkata) Mumbai 14 2022
KL Rahul (Punjab) Delhi 14 2018
Yusuf Pathan (Kolkata) Hyderabad 15 2014
Sunil Narine (Kolkata) Bangalore 15 2017

Nepal's Dipendra Singh Airee is the record holder for the fastest fifty in T20Is having smashed a nine-ball fifty against Mongolia in the men's T20 competition at the 2023 Asian Games. His knock helped set up a 273-run win for Nepal.

India’s Yuvraj Singh holds the record for the second-fastest fifty in T20 cricket and he has the distinction of registering in an international match against England in 2007.

Playing against England in a group match at the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, Yuvraj Singh scored 58 runs in 16 balls - an innings where he smashed his famous six sixes in an over.

The southpaw brought up his fifty in just 12 balls, thus helping India set a mammoth target of 219 for England in 20 overs. England lost by 19 runs.

The second fastest fifty in T20Is came 12 years later when Austria's Mirza Ahsan slammed a 13-ball half-century in a 2019 Continental Cup match against Luxembourg. His knock was laced with two boundaries and seven maximums.

Fastest fifties in T20I cricket

Player (Team) Opponent Balls taken Year
Dipendra Singh Airee (Nepal) Mongolia 9 2023
Yuvraj Singh (India) England 12 2007
Mirza Ahsan (Austria) Luxembourg 13 2019
Kieron Pollard (Trinidad and Tobago) Leeward Islands 14 2012
Colin Munro (New Zealand) Sri Lanka 14 2016

While Chris Gayle hasn't managed to hit the fastest fifty in T20I cricket or in the Indian T20 League, the West Indian hard hitter has compensated for it by achieving the feat in Big Bash League.

Opening for the Melbourne Renegades in 2016, the towering southpaw had scored a half-century in 12 balls. Unfortunately, the Gayle storm came in a losing cause as the Renegades failed to chase down the 171 runs target set by Adelaide Strikers.

Fastest fifties in T20

Player (Team) Opponent Balls taken Year
Chris Gayle (Melbourne Renegades) Adelaide Strikers 12 2016
Hazratullah Zazai (Kabul Zwanan) Balkh Legends 12 2018
Marcus Trescothick (Somerset) Hampshire 13 2010
Sunil Narine (Comilla Victorians) Chattogram Challengers 13 2022
Imran Nazir (Sialkot) Lahore Eagles 14 2005

Featured Image: AFP/ Alexander Joe

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