Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Urvil Patel has equalled the record for the fastest fifty in the IPL by smashing a half-century off 13 balls against Lucknow Super Giants at Chepauk. He shares the record with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who brought up his half-century off 13 balls on the way to 98 not out against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens in IPL 2023.
Patel's effort was also the joint-eighth fastest half-century in all T20 cricket. The fastest T20 fifty belongs to Nepal's Dipendra Singh Airee, who scored a helf-century off nine balls against Mongolia in the 2023 Asian Games. Ashutosh Sharma scored a 11-ball fifty for Railways against Arunachal Pradesh in the 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, while Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle, Hazratullah Zazai, Sahil Chauhan and Abhishek Sharma have all made 12-ball fifties.
"The coaches told me to hold my shape and hit the ball well," Patel said after the game. "Rutu [Gaikwad] just told me that the wicket is a little low and to be ready for it. He did not say a lot, and just asked me to play the way I did."
Patel, 27, began his innings with CSK 45 for 1 in 3.4 overs in a chase of 204 and went on to hit seven sixes and a four on his way to 50 off 13 balls. He celebrated the milestone by taking out a piece of paper, which read "This is for you, Papa." Patel was eventually dismissed for 65 off 23 balls, with two fours and eight sixes, leaving CSK on 126 for 2 in 9.2 overs.
His knock helped CSK pull off their first successful 180+ chase in the IPL in 15 attempts since 2019. They now have 12 points from 10 games, and sit fifth on the points table.
Patel, 27, was playing only his fourth match of IPL 2026. He got his opportunity only once CSK lost Ayush Mhatre to a hamstring injury and made scores of 4, 24 and 17 in his first three innings of the season.