Fastest Half-Centuries In List A Cricket Ft. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi & Thisara Perera (Image Source: AFP Photos)

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made headlines once again on Sunday, this time for good reasons. Days after being the most-talked-about player after a few underwhelming performances in the Tri-Nation A Series in Sri Lanka 2026 coupled with a fight, the 15-year-old smashed a spectacular 29-ball 94 in the final, delivering his best when it mattered most.

Even though Sooryavanshi missed out on the fastest List A centurion by a whisker, he rewrote record books a bit before while swinging his bat like a monster. He topped the chart of players with the fastest half-centuries in List A Cricket.

Here, in this article, we take a look at the players who have done so at the most rapid pace to hit a half-century in this format.

Players With Fastest Half-Centuries In List A Cricket

4. 14 Balls By Rory Kleinveldt

Rory Kleinveldt, who played 4 Tests, 10 ODIs and 6 T20Is for South Africa, smashed a half-century in just 14 balls. He played for Western Province while making the world record, and the match was against KwaZulu-Natal during the 2010/11 season in Durban.

Importantly, Kleinveldt hung up his boots from elite-level cricket in 2020. Cape Cobras, South Africa’s well-known domestic side, was his last team before his focus shifted to tournaments like World Championship of Legends.

3. 13 Balls By Thisara Perera

Thisara Perera, one of Sri Lanka’s all-time best all-rounders in limited-overs cricket, took a ball fewer than Kleinveldt for his record-breaking half-century. It was a Major Clubs Limited-Over Tournament match in March 2021, in which Perera played an exceptional knock.

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Unfortunately, Perera did not get a result in that match, as it was washed out due to tremendous rain in Panagoda.

2. 12 Balls By Kaushalya Weeraratne

Kaushalya Weeraratne made a half-century in just 12 balls while playing for Ragama Cricket Club in 2005. The Sri Lankan played 15 ODIs and 5 T20Is for the country; unfortunately, it did not go well for him.

Very much like Rory Kleinveldt, Kaushalya Weeraratne has shifted his focus to more Legends League Cricket tournaments, with the last league match coming way back in 2013.

1. 11 Balls By Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi went all guns blazing on Sunday morning, making Sri Lankan bowlers look helpless. At one stage, the run rate seemed to be sky-rocketing when he was on song, and Sri Lanka bowlers faced the heat throughout his stay.

Apart from these four, there are four others who have smashed a List A half-century in 15 balls. They are Adam Hollioake, Salman Butt, Parvez Hossain and India’s Sarfaraz Khan. Needless to say, they are the joint fifth-fastest half-centuries in List A Cricket.

Given how Sooryavanshi bats, don’t be surprised if he breaks his own List A record in the days to come. He has already shown the world what he can offer with Rajasthan Royals during IPL 2026, which helped him get selected for India’s men’s team.

He will soon be in action during India's tour of Ireland 2026, and during that period, all the T20 records will be under threat.

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