India opener Abhishek Sharma continues to become an outlier in world cricket as his intimidation factor keeps growing through almost every series.
Already ranked the No. 1 ICC T20I batsman, Abhishek added another feather to his cap in what is a stellar start to his T20I career as he blasted the second-fastest half-century by an Indian in this format.
The ongoing IND vs NZ T20I series is Abhishek’s first T20I series against New Zealand, and he ensured that the Kiwis will remember him for a while through his breathtaking batting display in the 3rd T20I on Sunday in Guwahati.
The pitch at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, for the IND vs NZ 3rd T20I was far from being a batting-friendly surface. India, who were bowling first after Suryakumar Yadav won the toss, restricted New Zealand to 153, despite the absence of the rested pair of Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy.
India were rocked early in the chase as Sanju Samson was bowled by Matt Henry for a first-ball duck. However, as they proved in the previous match, these Indian batsmen don’t mind wickets falling around them as long as they continue to play their shots and look to put the pressure back on the opposition.
Ishan Kishan, the hero of the 2nd T20I, joined Abhishek in the middle, and the duo whacked 53 runs off 19 balls for the second-wicket stand, of which the opener plundered 23 runs off only six balls and the No. 3 clobbered 28 off 13 balls before being Ish Sodhi’s scalp. The duo set the tone for India’s chase, which grew daunting after Suryakumar paired with Abhishek.
Abhishek and Suryakumar sealed the chase with their dominating, unbeaten third-wicket partnership of 102* off only 40 balls. The left-hander walloped 45 runs off 14 balls in this third-wicket stand with Yadav, who ransacked a second consecutive half-century, whipping 57 runs off 26 balls to put all doubts about his form to bed.
This was Abhishek’s eighth half-century in T20Is, and a record-breaking one, as he reached the half-century milestone in only 14 deliveries, which is now the second-fastest fifty by an Indian batsman in T20Is. Ahead of Abhishek on this elite list is only one man, Yuvraj Singh, the youngster’s mentor and idol.
Who has hit the fastest T20I fifty for India?
Yuvraj Singh holds the record for the fastest half-century by an Indian batsman in T20Is for his 12-ball fifty against England in Durban during the 2007 T20 World Cup. Abhishek missed Yuvraj’s record by only two balls as he blasted a 14-ball half-century against New Zealand in Guwahati.
Top 5 fastest fifty by Indian batsmen in T20I cricket:
- Yuvraj Singh – 12 balls vs England, 2007
- Abhishek Sharma – 14 balls vs New Zealand, 2026
- Hardik Pandya – 16 balls vs South Africa, 2025
- Abhishek Sharma – 17 balls vs England, 2025
- KL Rahul – 18 balls vs Scotland, 2021, Suryakumar Yadav – 18 balls vs South Africa, 2022
While Yuvraj’s 12-ball feat against England included six sixes in an over, Abhishek cracked five fours and four sixes in his first 14 balls to reach the half-century milestone. His powerplay onslaught helped India post a whopping 94 runs in the first six overs, which is India’s second-highest powerplay score ever.
He ended the game with 68* off 20 balls, a breezy knock that included seven fours and six sixes.
Abhishek and Suryakumar’s partnership of 102* (40) meant that India chased down the target of 154 in exactly 10 overs.
India handed New Zealand a proper annihilation in Guwahati to seal the series 3-0, India’s ninth consecutive T20I series victory, which is the second-most among Full Members, behind only Pakistan’s streak of 10 consecutive T20I series wins.
In the post-match ceremony, Abhishek spoke of his method and mindset. He said, “That’s what my team wants from me and I just want to execute all the time. But obviously, it’s not easy to do it every time, but I think it’s all about mental as well and the atmosphere you get around your dressing room as well.”
IND vs NZ: When and where is the India vs New Zealand 4th T20I?
The fourth T20I between India and New Zealand will be played on Wednesday, January 28, in Visakhapatnam.
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