No Abhishek Sharma, no problem, says Ishan Kishan. In the swashbuckling absence from the India vs Namibia match owing to sickness, Kishan took over the responsibility to provide India the best start at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
After a lukewarm performance against the USA in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener, Kishan finally showed his true self against Namibia. Sanju Samson, who’d replaced Abhishek, played an exceptional 8-ball 22-run cameo.
Ishan Kishan goes boom in Delhi
In contrast, Kishan was slow off the blocks. He was 2 (4) after the 2nd over and 11 (8) after the 3rd. In the next 3 overs, the batter from Jharkhand smashed 39 runs from 12 balls. The majority of these runs came in the last over of the powerplay.
JJ Smit returned for his second over, and Kishan smashed 4 consecutive sixes. He capped the over with a four and brought up his fifty from just 20 balls. Becoming just the 5th Indian to score a fifty inside the powerplay after Abhishek, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Rohit Sharma.
His destruction saw India score 86 runs in the powerplay. It turned out to be India’s highest score in the first 6 overs in their T20 World Cup history and the fourth highest of all time. Only twice has India scored more runs in the powerplay.
Highest powerplay score in T20 World Cup
| Team | Powerplay Score | Opposition | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Indies | 92/1 | Afghanistan | Gros Islet | 2024 |
| Netherlands | 91/1 | Ireland | Sylhet | 2014 |
| England | 89/3 | South Africa | Mumbai | 2016 |
| India | 86/1 | Namibia | Delhi | 2026 |
| South Africa | 83/0 | England | Mumbai | 2016 |
Kishan also smashed the joint fourth-fastest fifty by an Indian in the T20 World Cup. Only Rahul, Rohit and Yuvraj Singh stand ahead of him now.
Fastest fifty for India in T20 World Cup
- 12 – Yuvraj Singh vs England, Durban, 2007
- 18 – KL Rahul vs Scotland, Dubai, 2021
- 19 – Rohit Sharma vs Australia, Gros Islet, 2024
- 20 – Yuvraj Singh vs Australia, Durban, 2007
- 20 – Ishan Kishan vs Namibia, Delhi, 2026
