Kamran Akmal, Asif Ali, Hazratullah Zazai, and Rilee Rossouw jointly hold the record for the fastest fifty in PSL history, each reaching the mark in just 17 balls. As of PSL 2026, ten batters have clubbed half-centuries inside 20 deliveries in the Pakistan Super League.
Maaz Sadaqat became the latest entrant, smashing a 19-ball fifty on 1 April 2026. This guide breaks down every entry, venue, and match detail so you get the full picture in one place.
PSL Fastest Fifties: Top 10 List (Updated April 2026)
Four batters share the top spot at 17 balls. Three batters sit tied at 18 balls, and three more at 19 balls. The table below presents the complete top 10 list, sorted by balls taken, then chronologically.
| Rank | Player | Balls | Match | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kamran Akmal | 17 | Peshawar Zalmi v Karachi Kings | Lahore | 21 March 2018 |
| 2 | Asif Ali | 17 | Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars | Karachi | 09 March 2019 |
| 3 | Hazratullah Zazai | 17 | Peshawar Zalmi v Karachi Kings | Abu Dhabi | 15 June 2021 |
| 4 | Rilee Rossouw | 17 | Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi | Rawalpindi | 10 March 2023 |
| 5 | Paul Stirling | 18 | Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi | Karachi | 30 January 2022 |
| 6 | Tim David | 18 | Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi | Karachi | 05 February 2022 |
| 7 | Mohammad Haris | 18 | Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad United | Lahore | 17 February 2022 |
| 8 | Luke Ronchi | 19 | Islamabad United v Karachi Kings | Dubai | 18 March 2018 |
| 9 | Sam Billings | 19 | Lahore Qalandars v Quetta Gladiators | Rawalpindi | 13 April 2025 |
| 10 | Maaz Sadaqat | 19 | Hyderabad Kingsmen v Multan Sultans | Lahore | 01 April 2026 |
Detailed Breakdown of Each Fastest Fifty in PSL
Each innings in this list tells its own story. Some came in run chases, some in must-win knockouts, and a few even arrived off the bench. Here is what actually happened in each knock.
1. Kamran Akmal (17 balls) vs Karachi Kings – 21 March 2018
Kamran Akmal set the original benchmark with a 17-ball fifty during PSL 2018’s second eliminator at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
He was battling a hamstring injury, but still smashed 77 off 27 balls with 5 fours and 8 sixes. Peshawar Zalmi posted 170/7 in the rain-cut 16-over match and won by 13 runs.
This sealed Zalmi’s final spot and also gave Akmal the record for most sixes in a single PSL innings at that point.
2. Asif Ali (17 balls) vs Lahore Qalandars – 9 March 2019
Asif Ali equaled the record in PSL 2019, smashing a 17-ball fifty for Islamabad United at the National Stadium, Karachi.
He hit 6 sixes and 3 fours in a middle-order blitz against Lahore Qalandars, a cameo that flipped Islamabad’s innings when it needed gear-shifting.
Asif’s strike rate and calm during the powerplay-to-death transition made this one of the most clinical finishing knocks in PSL history.
3. Hazratullah Zazai (17 balls) vs Karachi Kings – 15 June 2021
Hazratullah Zazai, Peshawar Zalmi’s Afghan opener, joined the 17-ball club during the PSL 2021 leg shifted to Abu Dhabi.
Chasing 109, Zazai launched into Karachi Kings with 8 fours and 4 sixes, finishing on 63 off 26 balls. Zalmi chased down the target in just 11 overs.
Zazai is the only overseas Asian batter to share this record, and he opened alongside Kamran Akmal, the same record holder from 2018.
4. Rilee Rossouw (17 balls) vs Peshawar Zalmi – 10 March 2023
Rilee Rossouw, the South African from Multan Sultans, joined the record club during PSL 8 at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.
Chasing a steep 243, Rossouw added 99 runs for the 3rd wicket with Kieron Pollard and reached fifty in just 17 balls against Peshawar Zalmi.
Rossouw also holds two of the four fastest PSL centuries and is arguably the most destructive overseas batter in league history.
5. Paul Stirling (18 balls) vs Peshawar Zalmi – 30 January 2022
Paul Stirling (PR Stirling), the Irish opener, produced the fastest fifty of PSL 2022 at the National Stadium, Karachi.
Playing for Islamabad United, he went 18 balls to 50 against Peshawar Zalmi, handling both pace and spin with the same disdain.
Stirling’s knock kicked off a blistering run of 18-ball fifties in Season 7 that would see three more landed within weeks.
6. Tim David (18 balls) vs Peshawar Zalmi – 5 February 2022
Tim David (TH David), the Singapore-born Australian power hitter, matched Stirling’s 18-ball mark six days later at the same venue.
Playing for Multan Sultans, David produced a typical finishing-overs onslaught against Peshawar Zalmi. His innings combined straight sixes with clever lap-shot placement.
This knock foreshadowed Tim David’s rise to a global T20 franchise, with subsequent contracts in the IPL, BBL, and The Hundred.
7. Mohammad Haris (18 balls) vs Islamabad United – 17 February 2022
Mohammad Haris, Peshawar Zalmi’s young wicketkeeper-batter, completed the 2022 trio at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
His 18-ball fifty came against Islamabad United and established him as one of Pakistan’s most exciting T20 talents under the age of 22.
Haris has since become a regular for Pakistan’s T20I side and crossed the 1000-run mark in PSL during the 2026 edition against Multan Sultans.
8. Luke Ronchi (19 balls) vs Karachi Kings – 18 March 2018
Luke Ronchi (L Ronchi), the New Zealand wicketkeeper, was the first batter to smash a sub-20-ball fifty in PSL.
Ronchi struck a 19-ball fifty for Islamabad United against Karachi Kings at Dubai International Cricket Stadium during PSL 2018, setting the tone for all fast fifties that followed.
His explosive style alongside J.P. Duminy and Shadab Khan became a template for Islamabad’s title-winning approach that season.
9. Sam Billings (19 balls) vs Quetta Gladiators – 13 April 2025
Sam Billings, Lahore Qalandars’ English wicketkeeper-batter, produced the fastest fifty of PSL 2025 at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.
He remained unbeaten on 50 off 19 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes, adding 44 runs off his last 15 deliveries as Qalandars posted 219/6.
The knock also broke Umar Akmal’s franchise record of a 22-ball fifty, the previous Lahore Qalandars record from the 2016 inaugural season.
Qalandars went on to win by 79 runs, bowling Quetta out for 140.
10. Maaz Sadaqat (19 balls) vs Multan Sultans – 1 April 2026
Maaz Sadaqat, Hyderabad Kingsmen’s 20-year-old opener, is the latest entrant after a 19-ball fifty at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
He went on to score 62 off 26 balls with 5 fours and 5 sixes, launching a 59-run opening stand with Saim Ayub in Match 8 of PSL 2026.
Sadaqat reached the landmark with a single off Multan Sultans captain Ashton Turner, making this his second PSL fifty in just his second season.
Hyderabad Kingsmen still lost the match. Sahibzada Farhan’s 106* off 57 balls handed Multan Sultans a six-wicket win, so Sadaqat’s record-equalling knock became a consolation highlight.
Venue Analysis: Where Were Most Fast Fifties Scored?
Karachi and Lahore lead the chart with 3 fast fifties each. Rawalpindi follows with 2, while Abu Dhabi and Dubai contributed one apiece during the UAE-hosted seasons.
| Venue | Fifties | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Karachi | 3 | Asif Ali, Paul Stirling, Tim David |
| Lahore | 3 | Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Haris, Maaz Sadaqat |
| Rawalpindi | 2 | Rilee Rossouw, Sam Billings |
| Abu Dhabi | 1 | Hazratullah Zazai |
| Dubai | 1 | Luke Ronchi |
Pakistan’s home venues account for 8 of the 10 fastest fifties, a shift that lines up with PSL moving fully to home soil from 2020 onwards.
PSL Fastest Fifties by Season: A Pattern Analysis
PSL 2022 produced the most entries in the top 10, with three 18-ball fifties inside a single month. That season stands out as the most explosive batting window in PSL history.
| PSL Season | Entries in Top 10 | Players |
|---|---|---|
| PSL 2018 (Season 3) | 2 | Kamran Akmal (17), Luke Ronchi (19) |
| PSL 2019 (Season 4) | 1 | Asif Ali (17) |
| PSL 2021 (Season 6) | 1 | Hazratullah Zazai (17) |
| PSL 2022 (Season 7) | 3 | Paul Stirling (18), Tim David (18), Mohammad Haris (18) |
| PSL 2023 (Season 8) | 1 | Rilee Rossouw (17) |
| PSL 2025 (Season 10) | 1 | Sam Billings (19) |
| PSL 2026 (Season 11) | 1 | Maaz Sadaqat (19) |
Four different seasons saw new entrants across PSL 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023, all sharing the absolute record at 17 balls.
How Fast Fifties Have Shaped PSL Batting Records
Strike rates in PSL have climbed steadily since 2018. The first 17-ball fifty came in the 3rd season. Within eight years, four batters share that mark, and ten have crossed the sub-20 barrier.
Notably, Fakhar Zaman leads six-hitting with 128 sixes, followed by Rilee Rossouw (92) and Kamran Akmal (89), showing how fast-fifty talent overlaps with career-long aggression.
For context, Babar Azam remains the top run-scorer with 3,792 runs in 100 matches up to PSL 2025, averaging 44.61 at a slower strike rate, a reminder that anchor roles and pinch-hitting roles sit on different clocks.
PSL Fastest Century vs Fastest Fifty: The Gap
Usman Khan holds the fastest PSL century at 36 balls. He reached it on 11 March 2023 for Multan Sultans against Quetta Gladiators.
That means PSL’s fastest 100 took roughly double the balls of its fastest 50, which matches the pattern seen in the IPL and BBL, where the second fifty usually slows slightly.
PSL Fastest Fifties vs IPL, BBL, and T20 World Cup
The PSL 17-ball record sits behind the IPL’s all-time mark. For easy comparison, here is how the PSL’s fastest fifty stacks up against other major leagues.
- IPL fastest fifty: 12 balls by Abhishek Sharma (Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals, 30 March 2024)
- BBL fastest fifty: 12 balls by Craig Simmons (Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart Hurricanes, 2013-14)
- PSL fastest fifty: 17 balls (jointly held by 4 batters)
- T20I fastest fifty: 12 balls by Yuvraj Singh (India vs England, 2007 T20 World Cup) and Chris Gayle
So PSL still has room to catch up to the sub-15-ball club. Given the league’s upward strike-rate trend, that day may not be far.
Who Could Break the PSL Fastest Fifty Record Next?
Maaz Sadaqat, Saim Ayub, and Sahibzada Farhan are the most likely candidates to set a new mark inside the next few PSL seasons.
Farhan’s 57-ball 106* in PSL 2026 shows he can accelerate through all phases. Sadaqat has already hit the 19-ball mark at age 20, with years to improve.
Other candidates include Finn Allen, Tim David, Mohammad Haris, and Babar Hayat, all of whom have posted 25-ball fifties or better at some point across global T20 leagues.
Also Read:
Kamran Akmal has the record for Fastest Fifty in PSL (17balls)
The 17-ball mark has stood at the top of PSL’s fastest fifties chart since 2018, with four batters sharing it. Maaz Sadaqat’s arrival in 2026 proves that fresh talent keeps pushing the boundaries every season.
For Indian fans tracking cross-league stats, Rilee Rossouw, Tim David, and Paul Stirling remain the names to watch. Bookmark this guide, because with strike rates climbing every year, a sub-17-ball fifty in PSL feels less like a question of if, and more like a question of when.
