Another day and another record has been scripted by the prolific Abhishek Sharma! The explosive SRH opener is back to doing what he is best at – tormenting the bowlers with a whirlwind knock that is simply aimed at breaking records. The southpaw raced to a half-century off just 15 deliveries in the game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Hyderabad on Saturday – his fastest in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Abhishek Sharma equals Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s feat
Before the SRH vs CSK game in Hyderabad, 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi held the record for the fastest fifty in IPL 2026. The explosive RR opener took just 15 deliveries to breach the fifty-run mark on two occasions in 2026 – once against CSK and then against RCB. However, Abhishek Sharma equalled the feat with his 15-ball half-century in the game against CSK where he struck 6 fours and 4 sixes. This also happens to be the fastest fifty scored by an SRH batter in the history of the league.
Fastest IPL fifties for SRH (by balls taken)
- 15 – Abhishek Sharma vs CSK, Hyderabad, 2026
16 – Abhishek Sharma vs MI, Hyderabad, 2024
16 – Travis Head vs DC, Delhi, 2024
16 – Travis Head vs LSG, Hyderabad, 2024
Striking at over 280, Sharma started off his innings with a dot ball, very much unlike how he usually does so. However, it took him just two more deliveries to find the right touch as he hammered Matthew Short for a six off his very first delivery. And thereafter, there was no stopping Abhishek. He struck 7 more boundaries to race to his half-century in no time. Sharma was eventually dismissed by Jamie Overton for 59 off 22 deliveries as he was caught behind by Sanju Samson. Before this knock, Abhishek’s fastest fifty for SRH had come off 16 deliveries in the game against Mumbai Indians in 2024.
Chennai Super Kings won the toss and opted to bowl first in the game against SRH. Abhishek Sharma 7, 48, , 74, 0 and 59 so far in IPL 2026. His mixed-run carries on from the T20 World Cup 2026 where he registered three back-to-back ducks and played just one impactful innings in the Super 8 game against Zimbabwe apart from slamming a half-century in the final against New Zealand.
Cricket
Winless KKR receive boost, Matheesha Pathirana's IPL 2026 joining date confirmed
