Young Bangladeshi opener Jawad Abrar has rewritten the country’s first-class cricket record books by scoring the fastest half-century by a Bangladeshi batter in the format. The promising cricketer reached his fifty in just 22 deliveries during the ongoing National Cricket League (NCL), breaking a record that had stood for 11 years.
Although Abrar narrowly missed out on a century, falling nine runs short of the milestone, his remarkable innings secured him a place in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket history.
The previous record belonged to hard-hitting all-rounder Ziaur Rahman, who completed a half-century in 24 balls during the 2014–15 National Cricket League season. That achievement remained unmatched for more than a decade before Abrar surpassed it by reaching the landmark two deliveries quicker.
Representing Barishal Division against Rajshahi Division, Abrar produced an explosive batting display in the second innings of their National Cricket League encounter.
The young opener adopted an aggressive approach from the beginning, putting the opposition bowlers under considerable pressure with his attacking stroke play. His rapid accumulation of runs brought him to the historic half-century mark in only 22 balls.
Rather than slowing down after establishing the record, Abrar continued to build his innings, combining powerful boundary hitting with an effort to strengthen his team’s position in the match.
He eventually departed for an impressive 91 runs from 94 deliveries, narrowly missing what would have been a memorable century. His innings featured nine fours and four sixes, underlining the attacking intent that characterised his performance.
Abrar, who previously represented Bangladesh at Under-19 level, demonstrated his ability to transfer the aggressive batting skills developed in age-group cricket into the more demanding environment of first-class competition.
His innings was particularly significant because first-class cricket traditionally places considerable emphasis on patience, technique and the ability to construct lengthy innings. Scoring a half-century at such a remarkable pace highlighted Abrar’s capacity to accelerate the scoring rate while competing in the longer format.
The record-breaking performance also provided an important boost for Barishal Division, who were seeking to recover their position against Rajshahi.
Abrar’s attacking contribution helped Barishal regain momentum during their second innings. By the close of the third day’s play, the team had reached 249 for five, establishing a lead of 21 runs over their opponents.
Although the advantage remained relatively narrow, Barishal’s recovery ensured that the contest remained competitive heading into the next phase of the match.
The remaining batters would need to build on that foundation to extend the lead and strengthen Barishal’s prospects.
For Abrar, the innings represented a significant individual achievement despite the disappointment of missing a century. His 91-run contribution not only helped his team but also ended Ziaur Rahman’s long-standing dominance of the national first-class record for the fastest fifty.
The performance marks another encouraging development in the young opener’s cricketing career, following his earlier appearances in Bangladesh’s age-group setup.
By reaching fifty in just 22 deliveries, Abrar has established a new benchmark for Bangladeshi batters in first-class cricket. His combination of attacking confidence and substantial run-scoring ensured that an innings which fell short of three figures would nevertheless be remembered for its historic significance.