Stats

Four cricketers to score half-centuries twice in less than 20 balls in IPL

Indian Premier League has been home to a slew of unique records that at times do not get divulged as they get deluged by an array of the conventional ones. However, the numbers always remain and once you come looking for them, they walk up to you gracefully.

In this article we are going to talk about one such feature which says that only four batsmen in the Indian Premier League has managed to score a half century in less than 20 balls twice. We are going to take a look at the index of those stormbringers.

1. Sunil Narine (15 balls, 17 balls)

After wreaking havoc with the ball that saw Narine scalping Mandeep Singh and AB De Villiers, he managed to pull the reins on RCB’s batting for 158. As people would have put it, being a bowler, Narine had done his job and it was the time for the batsmen to do theirs, they were right.

Chris Lynn and Narine came out to bat and what happened thereafter was a storm from an alien land. Narine took RCB bowling by the scruff of its neck and smoked the bowlers with extreme prejucide.

He amassed 54 from 17 deliveries before finally falling prey to Aniket Choudhary as Kedhar Jadhav pouched a simple take. KKR bagged a comfortable victory riding on Lynn and Narine’s breezy knocks.

His second instance of half-century within 20 balls came against the same opponent in 2018 as KKR was once again chasing a vertiginous total of 177. Narine meant business right from the word go and clobbered the bowlers in the first five overs. Before he was castled by Umesh Yadav, he managed to blast 50 runs off just 17 balls. KKR stole another spectacular victory, thanks to some tactical brilliance from their skipper Dinesh Karthik.

2. Kieron Pollard (17 balls, 20 balls)

Pollard is one of the fray’s biggest hitters and still continues to rule the roost in hard-hitting. He is one of those rare cricketers who managed to feature in this list as his first half century in less than 17 balls came against Kolkata Knightriders in 2016. After KKR posted a mammoth total of 174 on the cards, Mumbai was off to a flyer, thanks to the heroics from the captain himself.

However, when things got a bit tight towards the end, it was Pollard who came out in his most intimidating incarnation, smoking the bowlers for a quickfire 51 from just 17 balls that saw him smashing 2 fours and 6 sixes. Mumbai walked away with a convenient victory.

His second half century within twenty balls came against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Mumbai Indians was in pursuit of 179 and they were off to a brilliant start, thanks to some collective brilliance from the top-order. It was Pollard who delivered them in the end as he started storming the bowlers in the most merciless fashion and racked up his half century in just 20 balls, smashing 66 off 27 balls in the end.

3. KL Rahul (14 balls, 19 balls)

Rahul chronicled the fastest half century of the tournament when he exhibited relentless aggression against Delhi Capitals, setting up a comfortable victory. Chasing 166, Punjab started the innings with some ominous storm from Rahul as he showed relentless brutality against the Delhi bowlers. He chronicled his fastest half century in just 14 balls and finally fell victim to Trent Boult. Punjab walked away with the bragging rights with almost 5 overs to spare.

Despite a towering 96 in the very beginning by a soaring Faf du Plessis, Punjab destroyed Chennai without breaking a sweat as Rahul hammered a meaty 71 from 36 balls which saw him reaching his half century in just 19 deliveries. His innings comprised 7 fours and 5 sixes. Punjab made quick work of Chennai Nicholas Pooran brought them closer to victory.

4. David Warner (20 balls, 20 balls)

Warner sang the symphony of Kolkata’s destruction as the Australian went on to smash a swashbuckling century that saw him garnering 126 runs in the process. He chronicled his half-century in just 20 balls, leaving the KKR bowling gravely injured. Kolkata fell short by a comprehensive margin as they were restricted to 161 in response to Sunrisers’ 209.

This was another Warner special as the Australian southpaw crafted a blistering 61 from 28 balls as he went on to smash his half-century in just 20 deliveries. Batting first Sunrisers managed to amass 192 that was 22 runs too good for their Chennai counterparts.

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