Few teams generate as much excitement and passion as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). With an ardent fan base and a history of batting prowess, RCB's IPL campaign has been characterised by flashes of lightning-fast thinking and persistent dedication.Given that the team has had some of the hardest batters to hit a cricket ball in history, including Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, and others, the desire to score runs quickly has never truly been satisfied during these moments.
In honour of RCB's illustrious IPL history with the bat, we examine three players who have amassed the quickest half-centuries in the team's existence.
| Rank | Player | Balls | Against | IPL Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Rajat Patidar | 19 | SRH | 2024 |
| 2 | Robin Uthappa | 19 | PBKS | 2010 |
| 1 | Chris Gayle | 17 | PWI | 2013 |
Image Source: Twitter
In match number 41 of the IPL 2024 season, RCB star Rajat Patidar unleashed another batting masterclass, this time against an all-firing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) team, just days after demolishing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with an imperial 21-ball fifty.
Patidar, batting at number four, came to the crease when skipper Faf du Plessis and Will Jacks were abruptly removed from the game in Hyderabad. He then went on to build a strong 65-run partnership with 'Orange Cap' holder and opener Virat Kohli. Patidar formed the combative stand in only 34 balls, shaping 50 of them runs off his blade from 19 deliveries before Jaydev Unadkat ended his stay.
Nevertheless, the 30-year-old caused a lot of havoc while he was in the middle, hitting five fiery sixes and two boundaries to thrash the SRH bowlers and lay the groundwork for a massive RCB total upfront. RCB reached 206-7 thanks to cameos from Cameron Green and Dinesh Karthik, who were emboldened by Rajat Patidar's blitzkrieg.
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In the first few innings of the 2010 Indian Premier League in Bengaluru, Robin Uthappa destroyed the likes of Sreesanth, Piyush Chawla, and Irfan Pathan. Chasing an overwhelming 204-run mark, the daring right-hander raced to a 19-ball half-century while batting at number three. He slammed four boundaries and four sixes.
Even though Uthappa only managed to score 51 runs off of 21 balls before being removed by Bipul Sharma, his explosive stroke play made sure that the RCB reached the 150-run threshold in just 15 overs. With eight wickets and seven balls remaining, Jacques Kallis' outstanding 89* and the cricketer's valiant run chase helped the RCB win handily.
Before Chris Gayle surpassed him at the same location three seasons later, Robin Uthappa was the record holder for the fastest half-century in RCB history at the time.
Image Source: Twitter
When Chris Gayle chose to go all-out against the now-defunct Pune Warriors team on the evening of April 23, back during the 2013 Indian Premier League, records broke, sixes flew, and the scoreboard lighted up in a blaze of glory.
At Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the renowned opener from the West Indies opened the RCB innings. By the conclusion of the fifth over, he had struck a half-century off of 17 balls. Even though it was the quickest fifty for RCB in history, Gayle was far from finished as he still had a few more records to break.
The cricket player finished his innings at an undefeated 175* off 66 deliveries, having hit 13 boundaries and 17 massive sixes on his route to a 30-ball century and a 53-ball 150. With his dominant performance, Gayle secured the greatest individual score in T20 history and led his side to a record 263-5, which remained unbeaten until the 2024 Indian Premier League.
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