On Saturday, Ajinkya Rahane debuted for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede. He was the highlight of the away team’s batting lineup, as he smashed the fastest fifty of IPL 2023 off just 19 balls. It’s the second-fastest fifty by a CSK batsman ever.
CSK beat MI by seven wickets in their 11th match of the season, thanks to Rahane’s outstanding batting performance. They’ve won two of their first three games and sit in fourth place in the points table, while MI is winless and in eighth.
In light of this, let’s review the 3 fastest 50 or more scores made by Rahane in the IPL.
1. 61 runs off 27 balls vs MI, Wankhede 2023
CSK selected the bowl first after winning the toss. The first six overs were an excellent start for MI, as they scored 61 runs and were one wicket down. They were in a precarious position at 76/5 in the 10th over of their innings due to a middle-order collapse.
The team’s final score of 157/5 was mainly due to Tim David’s 31 runs off 22 balls. The best bowling performance came from Ravindra Jadeja, who finished with 3/20 off his four overs.
CSK’s chase ended poorly as New Zealand’s batsman Devon Conway was out for a duck. Rahane went in at number 3. Fans expected the ex-Rajasthan Royals player to play a quiet knock and help anchor the run chase. But they were stunned by Rahane’s explosive innings.
The Indian batsman smashed four fours and 1 six in the 4th over, destroying the inexperienced left-arm seamer Arshad Khan. Most of Rahane’s shots were routine, but he still hit seven fours and three sixes. As a result of his aggressive innings, the in-form Ruturaj Gaikwad could play a composed inning and bat to the end, allowing them to chase down their target successfully. For the Chennai franchise, Rahane is a decent replacement for Robin Uthappa.
2. 60 runs off 34 balls vs MI, Pune 2017
After winning the toss against Mumbai Indians (MI), visiting team Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), decided to bowl first. In the first inning, MI scored 184 runs with help from players like Hardik Pandya, Jos Buttler, Nitish Rana, and Kieron Pollard. Imran Tahir was the most efficient bowler, taking 3/28 in his four overs.
Ajinkya Rahane’s response was to act aggressively from the first go. He took advantage of the field restrictions during the powerplay overs, attacked Hardik Pandya and Tim Southee, and quickly ran the scoreboard during the middle overs.
In his 34-ball innings at the crease, Rahane smashed six fours and three sixes. In the second game of the competition, Captain Steve Smith’s undefeated 84 runs off 54 balls were essential in bringing the team across.
3. 103* runs off 60 runs vs RCB, Chinnaswamy 2012
Rahul Dravid, captain of the Rajasthan Royals, won the toss and opted to bat first. They could have gotten off to a better start, losing just one wicket after 10.2 overs and only adding 62 runs. Dravid’s performance in the match was poor (25 runs off 32 balls), in contrast to Ajinkya Rahane’s carefree batting.
His partnership with English batsman Owais Shah was decisive. Together, they smashed 121 runs off 50 balls, shifting the game in the visitors’ favour. After the 13th over, Rahane picked up the pace considerably, scoring the last 55 runs in only 20 balls.
In reply, RCB scored 136 runs before being bowled out in 19.5 overs. Siddharth Trivedi was the most effective bowler (4/25 in 4 overs), and RR won by 59 runs. In that IPL season, Rahane won ‘Player of the Match’ for the second time.