Himchal Pradesh’s Pankaj Jaiswal smashed the second fastest Ranji Trophy half-century in recorded history during a his side’s Group D encounter against Goa in Dharamsala on Monday.
The 22-year-old reached the landmark off just 16 balls. He went onto score 63 from just 20 balls with four boundaries and seven sixes. The record for the fastest half-century in the Ranji Trophy belongs to Bandeep Singh of Jammu and Kashmir, who had achieved the feat off just 15 balls against Tripura in 2015.
In international cricket the record belongs to Yuvraj Singh, who had smashed a fifty in just 12 balls for India against England during the 2007 World Twenty20. In the One-day International format, South Africa’s AB de Villiers had smashed a half-century off 16 balls, while Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq holds the record in Tests, having scored a fifty in just 21 balls.
Jaiswal, a bowling all-rounder, came into bat with Himachal placed well at 541/7 after centuries from Priyanshu Khanduri, Ankush Bains and Nikhil Gangta. Jaiswal’s knock saw Himachal declare their innings on 625 to take a sizeable lead over Goa.
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