Can Abhishek Break Yuvraj Singh's Record Of Fastest T20I Fifty? Here's What The Opener Says

India’s explosive opener Abhishek Sharma smashed the second-fastest T20I half-century by an Indian, reaching the milestone in just 14 balls during the third T20I against New Zealand at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Sunday, leading India to a resounding victory.

Abhishek’s dynamic innings included five fours and four sixes, surpassing Hardik Pandya’s previous record of a 16-ball fifty for India in T20Is. Yuvraj Singh holds the fastest fifty by an Indian in T20 cricket, achieved in 12 balls against England in 2007, a historic knock in T20I cricket.

Chasing 154, India quickly reached 94/2 in the powerplay, largely due to Abhishek’s explosive performance. The 25-year-old remained unbeaten on 68 off just 20 deliveries, steering India to an eight-wicket

win and solidifying his reputation as one of the team’s most powerful hitters.

Reflecting on his remarkable innings, Abhishek 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 as the atmosphere you get around your dressing room as well. That’s more than impossible for anyone (to break Yuvraj’s fastest T20 fifty 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 as well, and going forward, it’s going to be fun.”

On hitting a six off the first ball, he added, “I wouldn’t say it’s like I want to go from the first ball. It’s just the instinct I get in between the wickets. I think about the bowler if he wants to get out on my first ball, then what he could bowl to me and that’s always there in my mind and I just want to play on that ball.”

Explaining his innovative footwork, Abhishek stated, “If you see that, that’s all about the field placement because I never step out to the leg-side if I don’t get fielding on … there’s a leg side, because if I get room for myself, then I have the whole ground off-side for me. So, that’s always in my mind. I just want to play with the field.”

Abhishek’s scintillating performance not only secured a dominant win for India but also established him as a rising star in the team’s T20 setup ahead of the upcoming World Cup.