John Campbell breaks Chris Gayle's record, smashes fastest fifty for West Indies vs India in ODIs

John Campbell scored the fastest fifty by a West Indies batter against India in ODI cricket, reaching the milestone off just 29 balls in the 2nd ODI at Guwahati in 2026. The knock broke a record that had stood for over two decades and was previously held by one of the most destructive openers the Caribbean has produced.

Campbell's 29-ball effort went past the previous mark of 30 balls, which Chris Gayle had set at Ahmedabad in 2002. Gayle had matched that figure again at Port of Spain in 2019, meaning the record was jointly held by him across two separate occasions before Campbell surpassed it in Guwahati. Campbell now stands as the outright holder of the record, having bettered Gayle's benchmark by a single delivery.

The feat came in the 2nd ODI of West Indies' tour of India in 2026, with Guwahati hosting the match. The exact calendar date of the fixture remained unresolved at the time of writing and has been omitted from prose to avoid error.

What is the record Campbell broke and who held it before him?

The record for the fastest fifty by a West Indies batter against India in ODIs had been held by Gayle, who first set it at Ahmedabad in 2002 off 30 balls. That effort stood unchallenged for 17 years before Gayle himself equalled it at Port of Spain in 2019, again reaching fifty off exactly 30 deliveries.

Both innings had remained the joint benchmark for West Indies against India in the format until Campbell's arrival in Guwahati. By reaching fifty off 29 balls, Campbell moved one delivery clear of Gayle's best and claimed the record outright. The achievement places Campbell in rare company among West Indies openers who have attacked India's bowling from the very first over in ODI cricket.

Fastest 50s for WI vs India in ODIs

How did Campbell perform in the series before this record innings?

The Caribbean opener had already demonstrated strong form in the opening match of the series. In the 1st ODI at Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, 2026, he scored 62 off 60 balls, a composed knock that showed his ability to build an innings at the top of the order.

In that first match, Campbell reached his fifty off 49 balls in the 17th over, a notably different tempo from the 29-ball effort he produced in Guwahati. He also shared a productive opening stand with Greaves, the pair adding 135 runs together at the top of the order in the series-opening clash on Sunday, played at the Greenfield International Stadium.

The contrast between the two innings underlines how significantly Campbell lifted his scoring rate in Guwahati. Moving from a 49-ball fifty in the first game to a 29-ball fifty in the second represents a reduction of 20 deliveries, and it was enough to rewrite the record books for West Indies against India in ODI cricket.