Former Indian all-round star Yuvraj Singh holds the record for scoring the fastest 50 in T20 World Cup history. Taking only 12 deliveries to get to his half-century against England in 2007, it is also the fastest half-century in international cricket and T20 Internationals.
The T20 World Cup, which is the biggest event in the world when it comes to T20 internationals has seen plenty of star-studded batting displays. Batters usually have the upper hand in T20 cricket and often exercise their dominance over the bowlers.
This has also been the case in T20 World Cups where several lightning-quick knocks have been recorded. These innings have allowed sides to post massive totals and find success over the course of the competition.
The most astonishing fact of all is that the fastest 50 in the entirety of international cricket arrived during the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007 which was held in South Africa. Back then, T20 cricket was still in its nascent stage and far from being the loved, recognised, and popular format of the game that it is today.
Who scored the fastest 50 in World Cup history and against which side? Find out all the details below as we discuss the top five fastest fifty in T20 World Cup history:
Fastest 50 in T20 World Cup history: Top five list
| Rank | Batsman | Team | Balls | Against | Year | Location |
| 1 | Yuvraj Singh | India | 12 | England | 2007 | South Africa |
| 2 | Stephan Myburgh | Netherlands | 17 | Ireland | 2014 | Bangladesh |
| 3 | Glenn Maxwell | Australia | 18 | Pakistan | 2014 | Bangladesh |
| 4 | KL Rahul | India | 18 | Scotland | 2021 | UAE |
| 5 | Shoaib Malik | Pakistan | 18 | Scotland | 2021 | UAE |
Yuvraj Singh (India) – 12 balls vs England, 2007
Despite the numerous high-profile innings played in T20 cricket over the last 10 years, nobody has come close to matching Yuvraj Singh who holds the record for smacking the fastest 50 in the history of T20 World Cup as well as international cricket, when he took just 12 deliveries to get to his fifty against England.
Playing in the inaugural edition of the World T20 held in South Africa, India were up against England in a heated contest. Although Stuart Broad’s name will always be linked in infamy as the bowler to concede six sixes off one over, it was Andrew Flintoff who actually lit the flame after sledging Yuvraj in the previous over.
Yuvraj punished Flintoff by taking Broad to the cleaners and brought up 36 runs off his 19th over. With his final two sixes, bended-knee shot over midwicket, and a sweet strike over long-on to complete the set, Yuvraj became the first batsman in cricket history to score a half-century in just 12 deliveries. His record hasn’t been broken since then although it has been matched in T20s, albeit not in a contest as high-profile as a T20 World Cup match.
The left-handed all-rounder went on to remain unbeaten on 58 off just 16 balls as his famous knock included three fours and seven sixes. It was also the first time any player had hit six sixes in a single over in T20 cricket and at the expense of poor Stuart Broad.
India went on to win the match in a thrilling fashion and eventually became the inaugural world T20 champions and it was the year Yuvraj announced himself on the biggest of stages and played an innings to remember for a lifetime!
Also Read: Yuvraj Singh jersey number
Stephan Myburgh (Netherlands) – 17 balls vs Ireland, 2014
In the 2014 World Cup, Netherlands international Stephan Myburh shocked the world by playing a jaw-dropping knock that hardly anyone had expected. Batting first, opponents Ireland had set the Netherlands a target of 190 runs, which proved to be quite a formidable and daunting challenge. However, the South African-born Stephan Myburgh had other ideas.
He began his innings in great form and played bold shots and hardly slowed down since then. An astonishing 91 runs came from the powerplay alone as Myburgh took the opposition bowlers to the cleaners.
He went on to score a fantastic half-century in just 17 deliveries and made 63 off 23 balls to power the run-chase for the Netherlands. His innings included seven sixes and four boundaries and four of those sixes came in Andy McBrine’s second over and another three were hit during the fourth over bowled by Alex Cusack. Netherlands obviously went on to win the game with an incredible 37 balls left to spare.
Glenn Maxwell (Australia) – 18 balls vs Pakistan, 2014
Glenn Maxwell is no stranger to playing unbelievable innings that leave the jaws on the floor as the Australian all-rounder is one of the finest strikers of the cricket ball in recent memory. However, Maxwell ended up playing an unforgettable knock during the 2014 T20 World Cup encounter with Pakistan where Australia seemed to be struggling desperately at one point.
When Maxwell arrived at the crease, Australia were staring at a horrific score of just 8/2 while needing 192 to win. He started off by showcasing his power-hitting against the spin of Zulfiqar Babar and Mohammad Hafeez before a couple of deft deflections behind point off Umar Gul’s pace. The Big Show then notched up 2 sixes and 2 fours in an over from the hapless Bilawal Bhatti that went for 30 runs as he made his intentions clear that the run-chase was on.
He brought up his half-century in just 18 deliveries, the second fastest fifty in that edition of the T20 World Cup and went on to play a blinder of a knock. By the time he was dismissed by Shahid Afridi after scoring 74 runs off just 33 deliveries, the equation had been brought down to 66 from 50 balls for Australia. Unfortunately, despite Maxwell’s brilliance, the other batters couldn’t finish the job for their team.
KL Rahul (India) – 18 balls vs Scotland, 2021
By the time the Indian team got around to playing Scotland, their unfortunate fate had virtually been sealed. After losing both their group stage encounters against Pakistan and New Zealand, India were staring at early elimination from the T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE.
However, there were some positives to cherish from the final few fixtures, although they proved to be dead rubbers for the Men in Blue, and KL Rahul’s magnificent half-century against Scotland was one of them.
The elegant right-handed batter set the stage on fire at the Dubai International Stadium as he smashed an 18-ball half-century in their eight-wicket victory over Scotland. After Yuvraj Singh, Rahul holds the record of scoring the second fastest fifty by an Indian at World Cups.
He announced his intentions straight away and took on the Scotland bowling unit early on along with his opening partner Rohit Sharma. He smashed three sixes and six boundaries to bring up his half-century in just 18 balls before getting dismissed on the 19th delivery.
Shoaib Malik (Pakistan) – 18 balls vs Scotland, 2021
Veteran cricketer Shoaib Malik, who was soon to be 40 when he was playing the T20 World Cup in 2021 in UAE, stunned the world with his breath-taking half-century against Scotland. He equalled India’s KL Rahul’s record and also got an 18-ball 50 to join the list of Glenn Maxwell and KL Rahul as the joint third fastest half-centurions in T20 World Cup history.
Malik smashed 54 runs in 18 balls as Pakistan scored 189 in 20 overs. Thanks to Malik’s blitz, Pakistan scored 43 runs in the last two overs, including 26 in the final six balls bowled by Chris Greaves. It is also the fastest half-century (18 balls) for Pakistan in T20 World Cup history.
FAQs
Have any other cricketers matched Yuvraj Singh’s record of a 12-ball half-century?
Yes, Chris Gayle, playing for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League matched the feat after scoring a 12-ball half-century against Adelaide Strikers in 2016. Hazratullah Zazai has also done the same while playing for Kabul Zwanan against Balkh Legends.
Who scored the fastest 50 in the T20 World Cup 2021?
Indian and Pakistan batters KL Rahul and Shoaib Malik jointly hold the record of scoring the fastest 50 in the T20 World Cup in 2021. Both batters brought up their half-centuries in 18 balls against Scotland in UAE.
Who holds the record for scoring the fastest fifty in One Day International cricket?
AB de Villiers holds the record for the fastest 50 in ODI cricket taking just 16 balls to reach the landmark. It came in South Africa’s second match against the West Indies at Johannesburg in 2015.
