JP Duminy, Parthiv Patel, and the Slowest Fifties in IPL History

Several cricketers earned their reputation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) through rapid-fire batting prowess evident in centuries and half-centuries off few balls. However, some cricketers managed to eke half-centuries during slow innings, and several batsmen have been able to achieve fifties in way more balls than normal. Let’s explore the record of IPL batsmen who have registered the slowest half-centuries so far.

JP Duminy – 59 off 63 for Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab (IPL 2009)

JP Duminy registered 59 runs off 63 balls as a Mumbai Indians (MI) batter against the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings).  His tally is the slowest half-century in IPL history. His innings slowed due to poor boundary acceleration as Duminy favoured a cautious approach to the game over aggressive gameplay. 

Parthiv Patel – 57 off 58 balls for Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab (IPL 2010)

Parthiv Patel scored 57 runs off 58 balls in an IPL 2010 game between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). Patel played as an opener in that encounter and aimed to provide a stable performance in his innings. The fifty came off a slow tempo game and low strike rate unfamiliar with IPL standards.

Shikhar Dhawan – 50 off 50 balls for Deccan Chargers vs Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL 2012)

Dhawan featured for the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in a high-stakes IPL 2012 game against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Dhawan secured a super-slow fifty off 50 balls to rank third among slowest half-centuries in IPL history.

Murali Vijay – 50 off 50 balls for Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab (IPL 2013)

CSK batter Murali Vijay registered a 50 off 50 balls against the KXIP in IPL 2013. His tally required a mix of composure and batting experience. However, his slow fifty lacked attacking flair required to register a half-century off fewer balls.

Gautam Gambhir – 57 off 56 balls for Delhi Daredevils vs Chennai Super Kings (IPL 2010)

Current Team India white-ball coach Gautam Gambhir gained popularity as an IPL batter for his anchoring ability. However, the star hitman was not at his quickest during an IPL match between the now-defunct Delhi Daredevils (DDV) vs CSK. His 57 runs off 56 balls ranks among the slowest-ever half-centuries in IPL history.

Brendon McCullum – 57 off 56 balls for Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians (IPL 2010)

Brendon McCullum earned his reputation as an aggressive batter; however, he also features in the slowest fifties ever in IPL history. McCullum played for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during an IPL 2010 fixture against the Mumbai Indians. His remarkable tally (57 runs off 56 balls) places sixth among slowest fifties in IPL cricket so far. 

Vijay Shankar – 52 off 51 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals (IPL 2020)

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) hitman Vijay Shankar secured 52 runs off 51 balls against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) during an IPL 2020 encounter. The cricketer managed this unbeaten tally with ease but did not offer batting acceleration to boost his tally off fewer balls. 

Steve Smith – 51 off 50 balls for Rising Pune Super-giants vs Mumbai Indians (IPL 2017)

Steve Smith’s unconventional batting style earned him a widely-known reputation among IPL cricketers. However, his 51 off 50 balls for the now-defunct Rising Pune Super-giants (RPS) is the eighth-slowest half-century in IPL cricket history so far. 

Top 10+ Slowest Fifties in IPL History