Abhishek Sharma smashed a blistering 14-ball half-century against New Zealand in the third T20I in Guwahati.
After the match, his mentor Yuvraj Singh jokingly pulled his leg, reminding him that he still hasn’t managed a 12-ball fifty yet. This is now the second-fastest T20I half-century by an Indian, bettered only by Yuvraj’s iconic 12-ball fifty.
Abhishek Sharma produced a breathtaking display of power-hitting, ripping through the New Zealand bowling attack to bring up a 14-ball fifty in the third T20I in Guwahati on Sunday, January 25, 2025.
Also Read : ICC T20I Player Rankings
Abhishek, who smacked seven boundaries and five sixes in his unbeaten 20-ball 68. He made light work of chasing down the target of 154 in the company of Skipper Suryakumar Yadav (57 not out off 26 balls). As India romped home in 10 overs and sealed the five-match series 3-0.
In the process, Abhishek Sharma recorded the second-fastest half-century by an Indian in T20 internationals.
Fastest 50 in T20Is:
- 12 balls: Yuvraj Singh vs England, Durban 2007
- 13 balls: Jan Frylinck vs Zimbabwe, Bulawayo 2025
- 14 balls: Colin Munro vs SL, Auckland 2016
- 14 balls: Abhishek Sharma vs NZ, Guwahati 2026
- 15 balls: Quinton de Kock vs WI, Centurion 2023
The only Indian to reach the landmark faster is his mentor Yuvraj Singh, whose iconic 12-ball half-century against England still stands as the benchmark.
The celebrations continued off the field, with Yuvraj Singh adding a humorous touch after the match by playfully reminding his protege of the gold standard.
“Still can’t get a 50 off 12 balls?” he joked, underlining the rich legacy of Indian power-hitting and the healthy mentor-protege banter.
Also Read : ICC T20I Team Rankings
Asked after the match whether he was trying to surpass his mentor, Abhishek admitted that Yuvraj Singh’s record was impossible to break.
However, he does not believe Yuvraj Singh’s feat is unbreakable.
Abhishek Sharma said,
“That is more than impossible for anyone to break Yuvraj’s Fastest 50 record, but still you never know. Any batsman could do it because I think all the batters have been batting really well in this series and going forward, it is going to be fun really.”
Yuvraj Singh has coached the Punjab left-hander for years, grooming him into a formidable T20 batter. Yuvraj’s iconic fastest T20I fifty came against England at the 2007 T20 World Cup, when he famously hit Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over.
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