ODIs are one of the interesting cricket leagues that Indians love to watch. Hitting 50 in ODI is not easy. Because it is a match of 50 overs, and the team tries to score as much as they can. Scoring the fastest fifties in ODI is another milestone. Players need to score fifty but not waste the balls. These fastest fifties in ODIs are the example of using the balls in the right way to score high runs. In this blog, we will cover the fastest fifties in ODI and who the star players are to score them. For more of these kinds of informative blogs, register on the Indibet app.
Top Players to Score Fastest Fifties in ODI
Rank | Batsman | Balls | Opponent | Venue | Year |
1 | AB de Villiers | 16 | West Indies | Johannesburg | 2015 |
2 | Corey Anderson | 18 | West Indies | Queenstown | 2014 |
3 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 17 | Pakistan | Singapore | 1996 |
4 | Shahid Afridi | 18 | Sri Lanka | Nairobi | 1996 |
5 | Jos Buttler | 18 | Pakistan | Dubai | 2015 |
6 | Brendon McCullum | 18 | Australia | Christchurch | 2010 |
7 | Kapil Dev | 17 | Pakistan | Tunbridge Wells | 1983 |
8 | Adam Gilchrist | 17 | Sri Lanka | Colombo | 2003 |
9 | Shahid Afridi | 18 | India | Dhaka | 2000 |
10 | Martin Guptill | 18 | Australia | Hamilton | 2010 |
Who Scored the Fastest Fifties in ODI?
AB de Villiers’ 16-Ball Fifty
AB de Villiers scored the fastest fifty in ODI. He is known for his aggressive batting. He used only 16 balls to hit a half-century in ODI. This score was in the South Africa vs. West Indies match. This match took place in the Johannesburg venue. On 18.01.2015, he made this history. He entered the ground while there were only 11 overs left and smashed all the balls bowled by the bowler.
Matthew Forde’s 16 – Ball
In 2025, Matthew Forde came in the fastest fifties in ODI history. After AB de Villiers, it took some 10 years to score the fastest fifty with only 16 balls. This match of Matthew really safeguarded the West Indies team from a difficult situation. His innings is one of the most fascinating and interesting innings.
Sanath Jayasuriya’s 17-Ball Fifty – Third Fastest Fifty in ODI
Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya is one of the pioneers of high-scoring batsmen. He enters the ground with the aim of smashing the balls. He scored his first fastest fifties with only 17 balls against Pakistan. This happened in 1996, and this set a standard for the upcoming generation.
Corey Anderson’s – 18 Ball Fifty
Corey Anderson scored the fastest fifties in ODIs. He was the first one to set the record for fastest fifties in ODI before AB de Villiers. He scored his half-century in 18 balls. But AB de Villiers broke the record with only 16 balls. His match against the West Indies at Queenstown in 2014. He scored this on 1st January in 2014. He set the new record in the new year of 2014. His strike rate during the innings was 277.78 for the half century.
Indian Players who Scored the Fastest Fifties in ODI
- Ajit Agarkar – 21 balls vs Zimbabwe (2000)
- KL Rahul – 26 balls vs Netherlands (2023 Cricket World Cup)
- Virender Sehwag & Yuvraj Singh – 22 & 22 balls, respectively
These three players are the upcoming fast batters. They score the fastest fifties in ODIs with the usage of 20-22 balls. They might become the top batters and can even break the set records.
Why Scoring Fastest Fifties Is Considered Challenging
The fastest fifties race is something very popular yet very challenging. Because the player should not be focused only on hitting their half-century.
They should also consider the team’s place in the match and act accordingly.
Players cannot afford to lose balls when they have only 50 overs.
There are high chances of getting out when you aim for sixes and boundaries continuously.
Conclusion
Fastest fifties in ODI history information might be helpful for cricket enthusiasts and cricket betting fans. I hope this information will help you understand the ODI match and players better. For more ODI related blogs, register on the Indibet site.