Chennai Super Kings batter Urvil Patel delivered a stunning burst of power-hitting to carve out a 13-ball fifty against Lucknow Super Giants in their IPL 2026 match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. The rapid knock didn’t just lift CSK’s momentum—it also matched the tournament’s benchmark for the quickest half-century ever recorded.
Key takeaways
- Urvil Patel struck his half-century off just 13 balls versus Lucknow Super Giants at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
- The knock tied the IPL’s fastest-fifty mark, equalling Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 13-ball effort from 2023.
- Jaiswal’s record came against Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata in 2023, while Urvil achieved it for CSK in 2026.
- Urvil is a right-handed wicketkeeper-batter who has earned attention through rapid scoring in domestic white-ball cricket.
- After beginning his IPL journey with Gujarat Titans, he later joined CSK for IPL 2026 as cover for the injured Vansh Bedi.
Fastest fifties in IPL history
Urvil’s 13-ball half-century now places him level at the top of the fastest-fifty list, with the standings below highlighting the pace of those landmark innings.
- 13 balls — Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR) vs KKR, Kolkata, 2023
- 13 balls — Urvil Patel (CSK) vs LSG, Chennai, 2026
- 14 balls — KL Rahul (PBKS) vs DC, Mohali, 2018
- 14 balls — Pat Cummins (KKR) vs MI, Pune, 2022
- 14 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 takes up wicketkeeping duties. While he may not have been a familiar name to every IPL follower at first glance, his domestic record has built a reputation around fearless hitting and the ability to accelerate early in an innings.
His match-winning quickfire performances are not a one-off. In the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he hammered a T20 century off 28 deliveries—an achievement that marked the quickest hundred by an Indian in that competition and also the second-fastest century in men’s T20 cricket overall.
Last season, he underlined his dominance again by smashing a century against Uttarakhand in just 36 balls, reinforcing that his power-hitting can overwhelm bowling attacks across conditions.
Urvil’s explosiveness extends beyond T20s as well. In List-A cricket, he has recorded a 41-ball hundred, which stands as the second-fastest century by an Indian in the format after Yusuf Pathan.
Urvil Patel’s IPL journey: from overlooked to spotlight
Urvil’s IPL story began when Gujarat Titans selected him ahead of IPL 2023. He entered the league with a base price of Rs 20 lakh, but opportunities didn’t come during his time with the franchise, and he was ultimately released ahead of the next cycle.
Despite strong domestic showings, he again faced disappointment when he went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction. That made his return to the top-flight even more significant.
His breakthrough arrived in IPL 2026, when Chennai Super Kings brought him in as a replacement for the injured Vansh Bedi. CSK signed 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 performance.
With his 13-ball fifty against Lucknow Super Giants, Urvil Patel has turned an uncertain IPL path into a headline-making moment—matching the fastest half-century ever seen in the tournament and placing his name alongside the quickest hitters in IPL history.
