IPL: Top 6 batsmen with most fifties in less than 25 balls

Over the years, T20 cricket in general and IPL in particular has transformed the way cricket is played. A couple of decades back, scoring at six runs per over was considered a brilliant performance by the batting team and an individual reaching a ton or half a ton with a strike-rate of more than 80 was considered a good effort.

However, with T20, all this changed. In the inaugural match of the IPL itself, Brendon McCullum muscled his way to a 32-ball 50 and then eventually a 53-ball 100 which laid the foundation of what was to come in the following years and what to expect from T20 cricket. Since that legendary knock we have seen some phenomenal batsmen playing amazing innings in the IPL.

While in cricket, scoring a lot of runs is usually beneficial for the team, scoring them quickly is as important in the shortest format. Let us have look at the batsmen who have been able to do that successfully. Here are 6 batsmen who have reached 50 most times in less than 25 balls.

6. MS Dhoni – 5

One of the most successful batsmen in the IPL, MS Dhoni has time and again shown why he is one of the most ruthless players to have played the game. Dhoni has scored 4476 runs in the IPL in 193 matches and has a total of 23 half centuries to his name. He has got to his fifty in less than 25 balls on five occasions.

Dhoni, right from the start of his career, has been an extremely dangerous batsman to bowl to and when he gets going, he has enough power to muscle any ball to the boundary. In the five half centuries he has under 25 balls, his onslaught against Mumbai Indians in the eliminator of the 2012 IPL was the most brutal. He brought up his half century in just 20 balls and demolished the bowlers all over the park helping CSK win the match.

The most stunning aspect about Dhoni’s record is the fact that he has batted in the middle order most of his IPL career. Hence, these fifties which he has scored have more often than not come in the death overs against the opposition’s best bowlers. This is what makes MS different from everyone else.