Abhishek Shrma has scored the fastest half-century in the 2026 T20 World Cup, finally returning to form in the final after having a dismal tournament.
The ongoing India vs New Zealand match is the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The tournament is hosted by India, with some matches being played in Sri Lanka. This final is being played at the massive Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
On a pitch that is not entirely flat, the Kiwis won the toss and decided to bowl first. To open the innings for India came Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma.
Abhishek Sharma Scores Fastest 50 2026 T20 WC
Abhishek Sharma has been in quite poor form throughout this tournament. Before the final, Sharma had only scored 89 runs in seven matches, including three ducks. It seemed that the number 1 T20I batter in the world had not only lost his form but also all his confidence.
On the other end was Sanju Samson, who wasn’t even part of the playing XI at the start of the World Cup. However, since coming into the team, he has been in sensational form. First, in a must-win game against the West Indies, he scored a match-winning 97 and was named the Player of the Match. He then won that award for his 89 against England in the semis.
The two batters in opposing form gave India a scintillating start. Sanju played the first over, in which he hit a six and took a run on the last ball to score seven. Abhishek played his first balls in the second over and hit the ball around to run a few.
It was in the third over that Sharma scored his first boundary, a four on the first ball against Jcob Duffy. He scored another a couple of balls later. At the end of that, the 25-year-old was batting at 12 off seven.
The fourth over, bowled by Lockie Ferguson, was a big one for Abhishek Sharma. The first ball is hit so hard that it edges towards the third man for a four. The next ball was a big six over long off. On the third ball, he took a single, and Samson hit a six and a four in this over as well.
In the fifth over, while Sanju rotated strike, Abhishek hit a six and brought his score to 31 off 13.
Then, in the final over of the powerplay, bowled by Jacob Duffy, Abhishek hit a four at third man, a six over long on, a four off a ball that did not connect well, a double, and then a four that brought up his 50 in just 18 deliveries.
This was the fastest half-century scored in the 2026 T20 World Cup, breaking the record set in 18 balls by New Zealand’s Finn Allen in the semi-final against South Africa. This is also India’s second fastest 50 in the T20 World Cup, only behind Yuvraj Singh’s 12-ball one in 2007.
And while Abhishek got out an over later for 52 off 21, his fiery inning gave India the perfect platform to aim for a massive score, putting the Blackcaps under pressure in a World Cup final.
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