MI vs CSK: Ajinkya Rahane smashes fastest 50 of IPL 2023; joins Suresh Raina, KL Rahul in elite list

On Saturday, during an IPL 2023 match at the Wankhede Stadium, Ajinkya Rahane made his debut for the Chennai Super Kings and delivered an impressive performance.

Despite playing for his seventh IPL franchise since 2008, Rahane managed to score a belligerent half-century. He reached his fifty off just 19 balls, hitting successive fours off Piyush Chawla in the sixth over. This feat makes Rahane's 19-ball fifty the fastest of the season so far.

Wankhede cha Raja! #MIvCSK #WhistlePodu #Yellove @ajinkyarahane88 pic.twitter.com/UDWVddBaJo

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 8, 2023

In 2018, KL Rahul made history by smashing the fastest fifty in IPL, achieving the feat in just 14 balls during a match against the formidable Delhi Daredevils in Mohali. From the outset, Rahul was in excellent form, displaying his prowess with the bat and hitting four sixes and six fours to reach the milestone of the least balls half-century. 

In 2014, Suresh Raina made an impressive half-century in just 16 balls against Kings XI Punjab at Wankhede stadium. The left-handed batsman went on to score a total of 87 runs off 25 balls, with the help of 12 fours and 6 sixes. Despite his outstanding performance, CSK unfortunately lost the match, rendering Raina's gutsy knock ultimately futile. 

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