Fastest 50s in Cricket: World Cups, ODIs, Test Matches, T20I
Cricket is a game of uncertainties. Additionally, it’s one aspect that keeps fans on the edge of their seats is to encourage their teams to score fastest 50s in Cricket. In addition, whether it’s the adrenaline boosting T20 showdown or the nerve enduring Test match; the race to a half-century is always thrilling.
Fastest 50s in World Cups
| Player | Balls Faced | Team | Opponent Team | Year |
| Brendon McCullum | 18 | New Zealand | England | 2015 |
| Brendon McCullum | 20 | New Zealand | Canada | 2007 |
| Angelo Mathews | 20 | Sri Lanka | Scotland | 2015 |
| Glenn Maxwell | 21 | Australia | Afghanistan | 2015 |
| Mark Boucher | 21 | South Africa | West Indies | 2007 |
Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)
Brendon McCullum’s swashbuckling style lit up the 2015 ICC World Cup. In a pool match against England, McCullum reached his fastest 50s in Cricket World Cup in just 18 balls. In addition, his explosive innings set the tone for New Zealand’s journey to the final.
Fastest 50s in ODIs
| Player | Balls Faced | Team | Opponent | Year |
| AB de Villiers | 16 | South Africa | West Indies | 2015 |
| ST Jayasurya | 17 | Sri Lanka | Pakistan | 1996 |
| MDJK Perera | 17 | Sri Lanka | Pakistan | 2015 |
| MJ Guptill | 17 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | 2015 |
| LS Livingstone | 17 | England | Netherland | 2022 |
AB de Villiers (South Africa)
A.B. de Villiers, widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time/ He holds the record for the fastest ODI century, half-century, and 150 off just 31, 16, and 44 balls, respectively. His 176 against the West Indies in the 2015 Cricket World Cup remains his highest ODI score.
Fastest 50s in Test Matches
| Player | Balls Faced | Team | Opponent | Year |
| Misbah Ul Haq | 21 | Pakistan | Australia | 2014 |
| DA Warner | 23 | Australia | Pakistan | 2017 |
| JH Kallis | 24 | South Africa | Zimbabwe | 2005 |
| S Shillingford | 25 | West Indies | New Zealand | 2014 |
| Shahid Afridi | 26 | Pakistan | India | 2005 |
Misbah ul Haq (Pakistan)
Misbah-ul-Haq, a former Pakistani cricketer and captain, is one of the most successful Test batsmen of his generation. Besides, Misbah-ul-Haq holds the record for the fastest fifty in Test cricket, reaching the milestone in just 21 balls. What’s more, he achieved this feat during Pakistan’s second Test match against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014. See also
Fastest 50s in T20s
| Player | Balls Faced | Team | Opponent | Year |
| Dipendra Singh Airee | 9 | Nepal | Mongolia | 2023 |
| Yuvraj Singh | 12 | India | England | 2007 |
| Mirza Ahsan | 13 | Austria | Luxembourg | 2019 |
| C Munro | 14 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | 2016 |
| R Satheesan | 14 | Romania | Serbia | 2021 |
Dipendra Singh (Nepal)
Dipendra Singh Airee holds the record for the fastest fifty in T20I cricket. He achieved this feat against Mongolia during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Besides, Airee reached the milestone in just nine balls, smashing eight sixes in the process. Therefore, his innings helped Nepal to a comfortable victory over Mongolia.
FAQs
A “fastest 50” in cricket refers to a batsman reaching a half-century (50 runs) in the shortest number of balls faced. Equally important, it is an exciting feat that showcases the player’s aggressive and rapid scoring ability.
Records for the fastest 50s exist in various formats of cricket, including Test matches, One Day Internationals (ODIs), Twenty20 (T20) matches, and even in specific tournaments like the ICC Cricket World Cup.
Various players are in the top of the list of fastest 50s in T20 matches. Yuvraj Singh held the record for the fastest T20 50, reaching it in just 12 balls during the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007.
The fastest 50 in Test cricket is a rare occurrence, given the longer format of the game. What’s more, McCullum holds the notable record of completing 50s in just 54 balls against Australia in 2016.
Yes, many of these records for the fastest 50s are associated with specific memorable innings or matches. For example, Brendon McCullum’s Test record came in a match against Australia in 2016, and Yuvraj Singh’s T20 record was set during the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007.
