On Sunday, the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai was lit up with batting fireworks as India raced away to 95/1 inside the powerplay in the fifth T20I against England. It was India’s highest powerplay total in T20Is.
However, it is all about opener Abhishek Sharma who reached his fifty within just 17 balls, which is the second fastest fifty by an Indian after Yuvraj Singh’s who reached it in 12 balls in the 2007 T20 World Cup, also against England.
Abhishek, who scored a hundred in his second T20I against Zimbabwe last year, blasted the England bowlers all around the park as he took India past 100 within just 6.3 overs.
He missed out the fastest T20I hundred (among World Cup playing nations) in 35 balls held by former T20I captain Rohit Sharma and South Africa’s David Miller. But he became the second fastest to the milestone when took a single off Brydon Carse’s 11th over. Until that time, the southpaw had smashed 10 colossal sixes and five boundaries.
By the time Abhishek was dismissed for 135 off 54 balls (7×4) by Adil Rashid in the 18th over, he had smashed 13 sixes the most by an Indian player in a single T20I innings.
| Player | Balls | Match | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RG Sharma | 35 | India v Sri Lanka | Indore | 22/12/2017 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 37 | India v England | Mumbai | 02/02/2025 |
| Sanju Samson | 40 | India v Bangladesh | Hyderabad | 12/10/2024 |
| Tilak Varma | 41 | India v South Africa | Johannesburg | 15/11/2024 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 45 | India v Sri Lanka | Rajkot | 07/01/2023 |
| KL Rahul | 46 | India v West Indies | Lauderhill | 27/08/2016 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 46 | India v Zimbabwe | Harare | 07/07/2024 |
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Abhishek Sharma entered second in the list after Yuvraj Singh as he brought up the record off just 17 balls in the game. Abhishek’s fifty score involved two sixes and a boundary against the express pace of Jofra Archer followed by two boundaries and a six against another genuine pacer Mark Wood. He then slapped two consecutive sixes off Jamie Overton to bring up his fifty.
| Player | Runs | Match | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yuvraj Singh | 12 | India v England | Durban | 19/09/2007 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 17 | India v England | Mumbai | 02/02/2025 |
| KL Rahul | 18 | India v Scotland | Dubai (DSC) | 05/11/2021 |
| SA Yadav | 18 | India v South Africa | Guwahati | 02/10/2022 |
| Rohit Sharma | 19 | India v Australia | Gros Islet | 24/06/2024 |
Abhishek has drawn comparisons with Yuvraj Singh — another lefthander from the state of Punjab — for his impeccable timing and stroke play. Yuvraj still holds the record for fastest fifty in T20Is between World Cup nations courtesy his historical six sixes off a single Stuart Broad over at Kingsmead in the 2007 T20 World Cup. Yuvraj had brought his fifty in 12 balls.
Below Abhishek is another opener KL Rahul, who clobbered an unbeaten 50 off 18 balls against Scotland in the 2021 T20 World Cup group match in Dubai. Set a paltry target of 86, India cruised to a eight-wicket win in 6.3 overs thanks to Rahul’s blitzkrieg which had six boundaries and three sixes.
Current T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is joint-third on the list for his fiery 61 not out off 33 balls against South Africa in Guwahati in 2022. Suryakumar’s fifty came in just 18 balls after he smashed five boundaries and four sixes against an error-prone Proteas attack. His contribution took India to 237/3 in 20 overs. The hosts won the match by 16 runs.
Fifth on the list and fourth fastest fifty for India is held by current head coach Gautam Gambhir who reached the milestone in 19 balls. Gambhir did that in his 2009 knock of 55 off 26 balls against Sri Lanka in Nagpur. However his contribution wasn’t enough for India as they lost by 29 runs.
