Abhishek Sharma, the world’s No. 1 T20I batter scripted history on Saturday, April 11, by becoming the first player to register five IPL half-centuries in fewer than 20 balls.The left-handed batter from Amritsar, opening for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Punjab Kings at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, reached his fifty in just 18 deliveries, finishing the milestone with a six off Vijaykumar Vyshak in the fourth ball of the fifth over.
Abhishek Sharma’s Fastest IPL 50s
| Balls | Team | Against | Venue | Date |
| 16 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Mumbai Indians | Hyderabad | March 27, 2024 |
| 18 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Lucknow Super Giants | Lucknow | May 19, 2025 |
| 18 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Punjab Kings | New Chandigarh | April 11, 2026 |
| 19 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Lucknow Super Giants | Hyderabad | May 8, 2024 |
| 19 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Punjab Kings | Hyderabad | April 12, 2024 |
Trailing him in the list of quickest IPL fifties is Nicholas Pooran, who has hit four fifty-plus scores in less than 20 balls. Additionally, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Travis Head, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi have all achieved three half-centuries under the same benchmark.
IPL 50s in Less Than 20 Balls
- 5- Abhishek Sharma (Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad)
- 4 – Nicholas Pooran (MI, PBKS, SRH, LSG)
- 3 – Jake Fraser-McGurk (Delhi Capitals)
- 3 – Travis Head (RCB, SRH)
- 3 – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals)
The fastest-ever IPL fifty remains Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 13-ball effort for Rajasthan Royals against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on May 11, 2023. Following him are KL Rahul, Pat Cummins, and Romario Shepherd, each with 14-ball fifties, while Yusuf Pathan, Sunil Narine, Pooran, Fraser-McGurk, and Sooryavanshi have reached 50 in 15 balls.
Notably, only Fraser-McGurk and Sooryavanshi have multiple IPL fifties in 15 balls or fewer, underlining their explosive batting prowess in the league.
Abhishek Sharma’s record-breaking 74 off 28 balls set the tone as he opened alongside Travis Head, who contributed 38 in a strong opening partnership. After Head was dismissed, Sharma continued his aggressive knock before falling himself. Ishan Kishan added a quick 27, while Aniket Verma’s 18, Heinrich Klaasen’s 34, and Salil Arora’s 8 helped Sunrisers Hyderabad post a formidable 219/6 in 20 overs, leaving Punjab Kings a challenging total to chase.
