Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings batter Urvil Patel produced a breathtaking display of power-hitting as he smashed a 13-ball half-century against Lucknow Super Giants in their IPL 2026 clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.With that explosive knock, Urvil equalled the record for the fastest fifty in IPL history.
His 13-ball fifty now sits alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal’s effort against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2023 as the joint-fastest half-century in the tournament.
Fastest fifties in IPL history (by balls faced)
13 balls – Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR) vs KKR, Kolkata, 202313 balls – Urvil Patel (CSK) vs LSG, Chennai, 202614 balls – KL Rahul (PBKS) vs DC, Mohali, 201814 balls – Pat Cummins (KKR) vs MI, Pune, 202214 balls – Romario Shepherd (RCB) vs CSK, Bengaluru, 2025
Who is Urvil Patel ?
Urvil Patel is a 27-year-old cricketer from Gujarat who bats right-handed and also keeps wickets. Though relatively new to IPL fans, he has built a strong reputation in domestic cricket for his fearless batting and ability to score quickly. This is far from the first time Urvil has dismantled bowling attacks. During the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he blasted a T20 century in just 28 balls — the fastest by an Indian and the second-fastest hundred in men’s T20 cricket overall.He also hammered a 36-ball century against Uttarakhand last season, further showcasing his ability to dominate attacks in the shortest format.His white-ball exploits are not limited to T20s either. In List-A cricket, Urvil owns a 41-ball century, which is the second-fastest hundred by an Indian in the format after Yusuf Pathan.
Urvil Patel IPL journey: From unsold player to CSK hero
Urvil was first picked up by Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2023 for his base price of Rs 20 lakh. However, he did not get a single opportunity during his stint with the franchise and was released before the IPL 2024 auction.Despite his impressive domestic performances, Urvil surprisingly went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction as well.His fortunes changed when Chennai Super Kings signed him as a replacement for the injured Vansh Bedi during IPL 2026. CSK acquired him for his base price of Rs 30 lakh, and the wicketkeeper-batter has now announced himself on the biggest stage with a record-equalling knock.
