NEW DELHI: When you talk about the fastest half-century records in cricket, the mind usually goes to the IPL or T20 Internationals. But on Sunday, the Ranji Trophy witnessed a sensational display of power-hitting, as Meghalaya's clash with Arunachal Pradesh produced a record-breaking moment rarely seen in the red-ball format.

Meghalaya's Akash Kumar etched his name in cricket's record books, scoring the fastest fifty in the history of First-Class cricket - off just 11 balls - during a Ranji Trophy (Plate Division) clash against Arunachal Pradesh.

The explosive right-hander produced an astonishing display of power-hitting in Surat, surpassing the previous record held by England's Wayne White, who had reached his half-century in 12 balls for Leicestershire against Essex in 2012.

Meghalaya were already in a commanding position when Akash Kumar walked in at No. 8 with the scoreboard reading 576/6. What followed was sheer carnage.

In a matter of a few overs, Akash tore into the Arunachal Pradesh bowling attack, smashing eight sixes - including six in a row off Limar Dabi - to reach his half-century in just 11 balls.

Among Indian players, the previous record for the fastest fifty in First-Class cricket belonged to Bandeep Singh, who achieved the feat in 15 balls while representing Jammu & Kashmir. However, Akash's blistering knock shattered that mark, prompting Meghalaya to declare their innings soon after on a mammoth total of 628/6.