Chennai, May 10 (IANS) Chennai Super Kings top-order batter Urvil Patel produced a breathtaking display of power-hitting by smashing a half-century off just 13 balls to equal the record for the fastest fifty in IPL history during the ongoing clash against Lucknow Super Giants at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.

Through his knock of 65 off 23 balls, laced with two fours and eight sixes at a strike-rate of 282.6, Urvil matched Rajasthan Royals’ opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had achieved the milestone in 13 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2023 season. The right-hander was unstoppable from the outset and sent the Chepauk crowd into a frenzy, as he also set a new record for the fastest fifty ever hit by a CSK batter in the IPL.

Urvil has also become the first batter in IPL’s history to smash six sixes within the first eight balls of an innings. Coming in to bat after Sanju Samson’s dismissal, Urvil quickly launched Avesh Khan for three sixes in the fifth over, before smacking Digvesh Rathi for three maximums and a four.

The highlight of his stay at the crease came when Patel, on 48 off 11 balls, launched Mohammed Shami for his seventh maximum – highlighting that most of his big hits came on the back of picking the length of bad deliveries early, ferocious bat speed, and sheer power.

Though he managed only a single next ball, he reached his first IPL fifty in just 13 balls, with the 32,000 fans in the stadium reverberating to chants of “Urvil! Urvil!” in the stands. In a touching gesture, Urvil pulled out a note from his pocket that read, “This is for you, Dad,” even as the CSK dugout was full of joy.

His explosive start also helped CSK reclaim the record for the highest powerplay score at Chepauk via 97/1, surpassing LSG’s 91 earlier in the day. Though Urvil’s blitzkrieg was brought to an end by a slower delivery from Shahbaz Ahmed in the tenth over, he has set the tone for a memorable evening for CSK at Chepauk.

–IANS

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