Akash Kumar Choudhary (X Photo) NEW DELHI: Records fell in Surat on Sunday as Meghalaya’s Akash Kumar Choudhary etched his name into cricketing folklore as he smashed the fastest ever fifty in first-class history – a stunning eleven-ball half-century – during the Ranji Trophy Plate Group clash against Arunachal Pradesh.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!The 25-year-old right-hander turned the match into a spectacle, surpassing England’s Wayne White, who held the previous record with a 12-ball fifty for Leicestershire against Essex in 2012. Akash’s breathtaking display of power hitting not only broke the world record but also left everyone in awe.
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Akash got to number 8 with Meghalaya already well placed at 576 for 6 and he wasted no time in making history. He slammed eight consecutive sixes, including a six in one over bowler Limar Dabi, a feat rarely witnessed even in the shortest formats of the game. By the time Meghalaya declared their innings at 628 for 6, Akash was unbeaten on 50 from just 14 balls – an innings that redefined explosiveness in red-ball cricket.
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What makes his feat even more remarkable is its context – it was not only the fastest fifty in Ranji Trophy history, but the fastest in first-class cricket worldwide, beating all domestic and international benchmarks. The previous Indian record was held by Bandeep Singh, who scored a 15-ball fifty for Jammu & Kashmir.Akash’s thunderous knock comes at a time when the Ranji Trophy’s Plate Group is producing extraordinary stories – from Bihar’s Vaibhav Suryavanshi becoming the youngest Ranji player to Goa’s Kashyap Bakle and Snehal Kauthankar sharing a record 606-run stand. However, Akash’s 11-ball masterpiece elevates the contest to a whole new level.WATCH: Akash Kumar’s thunderous knock in SuratAkash made his first-class debut in December 2019 against Nagaland. He also featured in List-A and T20 matches in the same year, representing Meghalaya against Sikkim and Gujarat. His home run has had its highs and lows – prior to this game he had managed just two fifties in his previous ten innings, enduring a slim stretch of failing to break 20 runs in five straight games.However, his recent return to form – with a fifty in Meghalaya’s last match against Bihar – hinted at a revival. Sunday’s shift emphatically confirmed this.Adding to his all-round value, Akash also bowled and struck early to cap what was truly a dream day in Surat. While Arunachal Pradesh trailed by 593 runs, Akash Kumar Choudhary’s name is now immortalized – as the man who turned 11 deliveries in cricket history.
Fastest fifties in first-class cricket
- 11 Balls: Akash Kumar Choudhary for Meghalaya vs Arunachal Pradesh at Surat (2025)
- 12 Balls: Wayne White for Leicestershire vs Essex at Leicester (2012)
- 13 balls: Michael van Vuuren for Eastern Province B v Griqualand West at Cradock (1984/85)
- 14 Balls: Ned Eckersley for Leicestershire v Essex at Leicester (2012)
- 15 balls: Khalid Mahmood for Gujranwala vs Sargodha at Gujranwala (2000/01)
- 15 Balls: Bandeep Singh for Jammu & Kashmir vs Tripura at Agartala (2015/16)
