Fastest Fifties in Cricket History: Tests, ODIs and T20Is Ranked

Scoring a half-century is one thing. Scoring a half-century faster than anyone else in the history of the game is another. Across all three formats, a few batsmen have scored a half-century at a pace the game has never seen before.

Some were established superstars. Some were lower-order tailenders. All of them hit the ball out of bounds when it mattered. Here are the fastest half-centuries in Test, ODI and T20I cricket history.

Fastest Fifties in Test Cricket History

1. Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan) – 21 balls

The fastest half-century in the history of Test cricket has been scored by a man who is primarily known for his calm and composed batting style. Misbah-ul-Haq scored 50 runs in just 21 balls against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014, and it also became the fastest half-century in terms of minutes, completing his half-century in just 24 minutes.

He hit four fours and four sixes in achieving this feat. He then scored an unbeaten 101 in the same innings, equalling Viv Richards’ record for the fastest Test century, which he completed in 56 balls.

2. David Warner (Australia) – 23 balls

Australia’s left-handed opener David Warner has scored the second-fastest half-century in Test cricket. He achieved the feat off 23 balls in the third Test against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2017. Warner’s effort broke Bruce Yardley’s 39-year-old national record and helped Australia get off to an impressive start.

3. Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 24 balls

South Africa’s greatest all-rounder and one of the best players in the game, Jacques Kallis brought up his half-century in just 24 balls against Zimbabwe in Cape Town in 2005. Zimbabwe were all out for just 54 in that match and Kallis came on when South Africa were already leading by a large margin.

He took full advantage of the situation and played an innings that was a departure from his usual methodical approach. Kallis is the only cricketer to have scored more than 10,000 runs and taken more than 250 wickets in both ODI and Test cricket.

4. Ben Stokes (England) – 24 balls

During the second Test against the West Indies in Birmingham in July 2024, Ben Stokes equalled Kallis’ record by scoring a half-century off 24 balls and set the record for the fastest half-century by an England player in Test cricket. England won that match by 10 wickets.

5. Shane Shillingford (West Indies) – 25 balls

The fifth most unexpected name on this list is Shane Shillingford, an off-break bowler for West Indies. He is not known for his batting.

But against New Zealand in Kingston in 2014, Shillingford scored an unbeaten 53 off 29 balls and reached his fifty in just 25 balls. His unbeaten 53 is also the highest score by a batsman at number 11 in the fourth innings of a Test match.

Further Reading: Most Runs Conceded in Super Overs in Cricket History

Fastest Fifties in ODI Cricket History

1. AB de Villiers (South Africa) – 16 balls

The fastest fifty in ODI history belongs to AB de Villiers, who reached the landmark in just 16 balls against the West Indies in Johannesburg on January 18, 2015.
In the same innings he went on to score 149 off 44 balls, one of the most destructive innings ever played in any format of the game. The 16-ball fifty remains the world record.

2. Matthew Forde (West Indies) – 16 balls

West Indies’ Matthew Forde equalled de Villiers’ record in Dublin on May 23, 2025, reaching fifty in 16 balls against Ireland. Only two batters in ODI history have reached the milestone in 16 balls and now they share the record.

3. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) – 17 balls

Sanath Jayasuriya was the original destroyer at the top of the order in ODI cricket. He scored a 17-ball fifty against Pakistan in the Singer Cup in Singapore on April 7, 1996, at a time when that kind of batting was entirely new to the format.
Jayasuriya’s aggressive opening style changed how teams thought about powerplay batting and this innings was one of the clearest early examples of what that approach could produce.

4. Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka) – 17 balls

Sri Lanka’s batsman Kusal Perera had scored a astonishing 17-ball fifty against Pakistan in the third ODI in Pallekele on July 15, 2015, matching Jayasuriya’s record. Sri Lanka produced two of the five fastest ODI fifties in ODI cricket history.

5. Martin Guptill (New Zealand) – 17 balls

New Zealand’s Martin Guptill completed the fastest ODI fifty list with another 17-ball effort against Sri Lanka in Christchurch on December 28, 2015. Three batters have shared the joint second fastest ODI fifty record, all reaching it in exactly 17 balls.

Also Read: Youngest Cricketers to Debut in International Cricket: The Complete Age List

Fastest Fifties in T20I Cricket History

1. Deependra Singh Airi (Nepal) – 9 balls

The fastest fifty in T20I history is not held by any of the traditional superpowers of the game. Nepali batsman Deependra Singh Airi completed his fifty in just 9 balls against Mongolia in the Asian Games cricket competition in Hangzhou on September 27, 2023.

2. Yuvraj Singh (India) – 12 balls

Yuvraj Singh’s 12-ball fifty against England in Durban in the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 on September 19, 2007 came off Stuart Broad’s famous six-over over.It is one of the most famous T20I innings ever played and Yuvraj’s fastest fifty record has been the benchmark for explosive T20I batting for years.

3. Abidullah Kotwal (Austria) – 12 balls

Abidullah Kotwal joined Yuvraj Singh in the history books by hitting a 12-ball fifty against Hungary. This crazy innings from the Austrian batsman made him the joint second fastest fifty scorer in T20I history.

4. Mirza Ahsan (Austria) – 13 balls

Surprisingly, Austria has another name on this list. Mirza Ahsan hit a fifty off 13 balls against Luxembourg during the Continental Cup in 2019. Because of him and Kotwal, Austria holds two places in the top five fastest T20I fifties.

5. Muhammad Fahad (Turkey) – 13 balls

Turkey’s Muhammad Fahad entered the top five in 2025 by hitting a fifty off 13 balls against Bulgaria.

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