Meghalaya’s Akash Kumar Choudhary made cricket history by scoring the fastest fifty ever in first-class cricket, achieving the milestone in just 11 balls during a Ranji Trophy Plate Group match.
Coming in at number 8 with his team comfortably placed at 576 for six, Choudhary scored eight consecutive 8 sixes, and also became the first player in cricket history to hit eight sixes in a row.
Akash surpassed the previous fastest fifty record held by Wayne White, who had scored a half-century in 12 balls in 2012. In 1984/85, MK van Vurren scored a half-century in just 13 balls and placed himself as one of the quickest innings in early cricket days.
Top 10 Fastest First Class Fifty
Here is the list of the top 10 fastest fifties in first-class history.
| Player | Balls | Match | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AK Choudhary | 11 | Meghalaya v Arunachal Pradesh | Pithwala Stadium, Surat | 2025/26 |
| WA White | 12 | Leicestershire v Essex | Grace Road, Leicester | 2012 |
| MK van Vuuren | 13 | Eastern Province B v Griqualand West | Standard Cricket Club Ground, Cradock | 1984/85 |
| EJH Eckersley | 14 | Leicestershire v Essex | Grace Road, Leicester | 2012 |
| Khalid Mahmood | 15 | Gujranwala v Sargodha | Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala | 2000/01 |
| Bandeep Singh | 15 | Jammu and Kashmir v Tripura | Tripura Institute of Technology, Agartala | 2015/16 |
| TM Moody | 16 | Warwickshire v Glamorgan | St Helen’s, Swansea | 1990 |
| G Chapple | 16 | Lancashire v Glamorgan | Old Trafford, Manchester | 1993 |
| G Yates | 16 | Lancashire v Glamorgan | Old Trafford, Manchester | 1993 |
| ML Pettini | 16 | Essex v Leicestershire | Grace Road, Leicester | 2006 |
1. Akash Choudhary: 11-ball Half-century
Meghalaya’s Akash Kumar Choudhary made history in first-class cricket by scoring the fastest fifty ever in just 11 balls, during the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy Plate Group match against Arunachal Pradesh at Pithwala Stadium.
Coming to bat at number 8, Akash smashed eight consecutive sixes, the only player to achieve this feat. He reached his half-century in 11 deliveries, breaking the previous record of 12 balls set by England’s Wayne White in 2012. Akash remained unbeaten on 50 off 14 balls and helped Meghalaya to end the inning at 628/6.
2. Wayne Andrew White: 12-ball Half-century
Wayne Andrew White was in the 2nd place for the fastest fifty in first-class cricket before it was broken in 2025. Playing for Leicestershire against
Essex in the 2nd inning, White scored his half-century in just 12 balls with 4 sixes and 4 fours at a strike rate of 416.67. Although the match ended with a draw, White scored fifties in both innings and took 5 wickets in the 1st inning against Essex.
3. Michhael van Vuuren: 13-ball Half-century
Michael van Vuuren follows White with a first-class half-century in just 13 balls in the 1984/85 season. Playing for Eastern Province B against Griqualand West at the Standard Cricket Club Ground in Cradock, he reached his half-century in just 13 balls.
Though less known globally, his record remains significant and is ranked among the fastest fifties in cricket history, just behind later records such as Wayne White’s 12-ball fifty in 2012 and Akash Choudhary’s 11-ball record in 2025.
4. EJH Eckersley: 14-ball Half-century
EJH Eckersley played for Leicestershire against Essex in a County Championship Division Two match held at Grace Road, Leicester, from May 16 to 19, 2012.
He made a stunning fifty in just 14 balls, hitting 9 fours and 2 sixes during this innings. In Leicestershire’s second innings, Eckersley contributed a rapid 70 runs off 19 balls before the team declared at 306 for 5. After sometime, White broke his record in the same inning.
5. Khalid Mahmood: 15-ball Half-century
Khalid Mahmood scored the 5th fastest fifty in first-class cricket during the 2000/01 season. Playing for Gujranwala against Sargodha at Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala, he reached his half-century in just 15 balls.
Khalid’s quick scoring included hitting 4 fours and 6 sixes in a rapid innings of 56 runs off 17 balls. Before his innings, Naved Latif scored 394 runs in Sargodha’s 1st inning, and the match ended with a draw.
6. Bandeep Singh: 15-ball half-century
Bandeep Singh made history in the 2015/16 Ranji Trophy season by scoring the fastest fifty for Jammu and Kashmir in a match against Tripura at the Tripura Institute of Technology, Agartala.
He reached his half-century in just 15 balls, breaking the previous record of 18 balls held jointly by Yusuf Pathan and Shakti Singh. Bandeep’s explosive innings included six boundaries and four sixes, scoring an unbeaten 51 off 16 balls. His quick scoring helped Jammu and Kashmir secure a lead of 367, but the match ended with no result.
7. Tom Moody: 16-ball Half-century
Tom Moody scored one of the fastest first-class fifties in cricket history for Warwickshire against Glamorgan at St Helen’s, Swansea, in 1990. He reached his fifty in just 16 balls by aggressive stroke play.
This innings was part of a match where Moody dismantled the Glamorgan bowling attack and scored a century in only 36 balls, a record for the fastest first-class century at the time, but his century wasn’t able to secure a win. They lost the match by 5 wickets.
8. Graham Chapple: 16-ball Half-century
Graham Chapple played for Lancashire against Glamorgan at Old Trafford, Manchester, in a County Championship match held from July 15 to 19, 1993.
In this game, Chapple scored a rapid and unbeaten 109 runs off just 41 balls in Lancashire’s second innings, including 11 fours and 9 sixes. Despite Chapple’s heroics, Glamorgan won the match by 7 wickets.
9. G Yates: 16-ball Half-century
G Yates once completed his half-century in just 16 balls for Lancashire against Glamorgan at Old Trafford, Manchester, in a County Championship match held from July 15 to 19, 1993.
In Lancashire’s 2nd inning, Yates had an explosive knock of 94 runs off 37 balls, which included 19 fours and one six. Despite Yates’ efforts alongside teammate G Chapple, who also scored a half-century in 16 balls, Glamorgan won the match by 7 wickets.
10. ML Pettini: 16-ball Half-century
Martin Leonard Pettini (ML Pettini) had an outstanding performance for Essex against Leicestershire at Grace Road during September 20-23, 2006.
Pettini scored a blistering 100 in just 27 balls in the second innings, where he hit a half-century in 16 balls. His quickfire century in the 2nd inning led his team to get a 300-run lead. Although Essex lost the match by 5 wickets against Leicestershire.
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Conclusion: AK Choudhary Scored The Fastest Fifty In 11 Balls
AK Choudhary’s 11-ball fifty is the fastest inning in first-class cricket history. His fearless batting for Meghalaya gave hope to young players from smaller regions of India to play for the national team. As cricket keeps becoming faster and more attacking, we can expect more such amazing performances in the future.
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