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3 Fastest fifties ever recorded in List A cricket

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Fastest fifty in List A cricket history

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi celebrates his fifty in the A-team tri-series final against Sri Lanka A (Source: BCCI)

Mr Cricket UAE Staff

Mr Cricket UAE Staff

Published - 21 Jun 2026, 11:05 AM Read time - 3 mins

Scoring a fifty may not carry the same prestige as a century, but when it comes at breakneck speed, it can feel even more exhilarating. In the modern era, the influence of T20 cricket has transformed batting across formats, encouraging players to attack from ball one. That ripple effect is evident in List A cricket, where strike rates have soared, and milestones are being rewritten.

India’s teenage sensation, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, set a jaw‑dropping benchmark, bringing the flair of T20 into the 50‑over game, by mauling the Sri Lanka A bowlers in an A-team tri-series final on June 21 in Dambulla.

Let’s take a look at the top three fastest fifties ever recorded in List A cricket.

#1 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Sri Lanka A vs India A, A-team Tri‑series final, 2026)

At just 15 years old, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already become a crowd‑puller. In the tri‑series final against Sri Lanka A, he blasted his way to a scarcely believable 11‑ball fifty. His intent was clear from the very first delivery: 4, 4, 4, 6, 6 - five boundaries in his first six balls.

He reached his milestone with five fours and five sixes, and went on to score 94 off just 29 balls at a strike rate of 324.13. Though his innings ended with a mistimed lofted shot, the sheer audacity of his knock left everyone spellbound.

#2 Kaushalya Weeraratne (Ragama CC vs Kurunegala, Premier Limited Over Tournament, 2005)

Sri Lanka’s Kaushalya Weeraratne held the crown before Sooryavanshi rewrote the record books. Playing for Ragama CC in 2005, he raced to his fifty in just 12 balls, hammering seven sixes and two fours.

He finished with 66 off 18 deliveries at a strike rate of 366.66, eclipsing the previous record held by England’s Adam Hollioake (50 off 15 balls). It was a knock that showcased raw hitting power long before T20 cricket had fully taken hold.

#3 Thisara Perera (Sri Lanka Army Club vs Bloomfield, Major Clubs Tournament, 2021)

Another Sri Lankan, Thisara Perera, etched his name into history with a blistering 13‑ball fifty in 2021. Leading the Sri Lanka Army Club, Perera’s innings included the extraordinary feat of smashing six sixes in a single over, becoming the first Sri Lankan to achieve it in professional cricket.

The unfortunate bowler, Dilhan Cooray, could only watch as Perera’s clean hitting turned the game into a spectacle. It was a reminder of Perera’s reputation as one of the most destructive hitters in the modern game. Perera finished his innings unbeaten on 52 with as many as eight sixes at a strike rate of 400.00.