Day after day, Abhishek Sharma proves why he’s the world’s best T20 batter. The southpaw opener smashes boundaries for fun. For batters with a minimum of 1,000 T20I runs to their name, Abhishek has the highest strike rate: 194.57. He’s in a league of his own.
In the India vs New Zealand 3rd T20I, Abhishek proved why that’s the case. The 25-year-old followed in his coach Yuvraj Singh’s footsteps and smashed the second-fastest T20I fifty for India in T20Is.
Fastest fifty for India in T20Is
| Player | Balls | Opposition | Venue | Date |
| Yuvraj Singh | 12 | England | Durban | 19/09/2007 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 14 | New Zealand | Guwahati | 25/01/2026 |
| Hardik Pandya | 16 | South Africa | Ahmedabad | 19/12/2025 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 17 | England | Wankhede | 02/02/2025 |
| KL Rahul | 18 | Scotland | Dubai | 05/11/2021 |
Abhishek’s 14-ball fifty wasn’t just the second-fastest T20I half-century by an Indian but also the joint third-fastest T20I fifty against a full member nation. In the 14 balls he faced, Abhishek smashed 4 sixes, 5 fours, 2 doubles, 3 singles, and zero dot balls.
Fastest T20I fifty against a full member nation
- 12 balls – Yuvraj Singh, India vs England, Durban 2007
- 13 balls – Jan Frylinck, Namibia vs Zimbabwe, Bulawayo 2025
- 14 balls – Colin Munro, New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, Auckland 2016
- 14 balls – Abhishek Sharma, India vs New Zealand, Guwahati 2026 *
- 15 balls – Quinton de Kock, South Africa vs West Indies, Centurion 2023
His 51 runs in the powerplay propelled India to their second-highest powerplay score in the format: 94/1. Had India managed to hit two more runs, they wouldn’t have gone past their record.
Highest powerplay score for India in T20Is
- 95/1 vs England, Wankhede 2025
- 94/2 vs New Zealand, Guwahati 2026 *
- 82/2 vs Scotland, Dubai 2021
- 82/1 vs Bangladesh, Hyderabad 2024
- 78/2 vs South Africa, Johannesburg 2018
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