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Abhishek Sharma turned on the afterburners as he smashed New Zealand all over the park on his way to a 14-ball half century recently. He went on to make an undefeated 68 from 20 balls as India won with ten overs to spare.
Abhishek and Suryakumar Yadav were simply awesome as they broke record after record in chasing down New Zealand’s respectable albeit average score of 153.
In reaching his 50 did Abhishek set a record for the fastest half-century by an Indian batsman? As it turns out, he did not. Here are the five fastest half centuries by an Indian batsman in T20 cricket.
1. Yuvraj Singh
- 12 balls v England in 2007 in Durban
The benchmark for all rapid-fire T20 innings remains Yuvraj Singh’s astonishing assault on England in the inaugural T20 World Cup. Facing Stuart Broad, Yuvraj famously smashed six sixes in an over, racing to his half century in just 12 deliveries.
It was a moment that defined early T20 cricket and announced India as a major force in the new format. Yuvraj’s innings was not just about power, but about audacity.
At the time, such levels of aggression were almost unheard of in international cricket. While the other feats on this list were al achieved in recent times, the fact that Yuvraj’s benchmark knock came in 2007 and still stands, speaks volumes as to how unique his achievement was.
2. Abhishek Sharma
- 14 balls v New Zealand in 2026 in Guwahati
Abhishek’s recent effort against New Zealand now sits just behind Yuvraj on the all-time list. Opening the batting, the world’s number one ranked T20I batsman dismantled the Black Caps attack, with a combination of clean hitting and fearless intent.
His 14 ball fifty came inside the powerplay and effectively ended the contest before it had truly begun.
What made the knock even more impressive was the context: it was a series India were desperate to dominate, after losing the preceding ODI leg, as they looked to establish meaningful momentum ahead of the imminent T20 World Cup.
Also read: 5 exciting under-23 stars poised for breakout T20 World Cup campaigns
3. Hardik Pandya
- 16 balls v South Africa in 2025 in Ahmedabad
Hardik Pandya’s entry on the list was a reminder of why he has been one of India’s most valuable white-ball players of the past decade.
Against South Africa, he walked in with India under pressure at 115 for three in the 13th over and immediately shifted the momentum with brutal hitting through the leg side and straight down the ground.
His half century in 16 balls was built on raw power, but also on smart targeting of the bowlers.
4. Abhishek Sharma
- 17 balls v England in 2026 in Mumbai
Abhishek appears twice on this list, underlining his rapid rise as one of India’s most destructive T20 openers.
Against England at the Wankhede, a venue known for high-scoring thrillers, he again took advantage of the powerplay and thrilled a packed crowd with a blistering display of strokeplay.
The fact that two of the five fastest half centuries belong to him suggests this is not a one-off phenomenon. As it stands Abhishek boasts the highest career strike-rate of any player in T20I cricket with his 1267 runs from 35 innings coming at a strike rate of 195.22.
5. KL Rahul
- 18 balls v Scotland in 2021 in Dubai
KL Rahul’s inclusion offers a slightly different flavour. Known more for elegance and timing than brute force, Rahul showed against Scotland that he could also operate in overdrive when required.
His 18 ball fifty came during the T20 World Cup and was a vital contribution in a must-win group game for India. His knock of 50 was part of a total of just 89 as India chased down Scotland’s modest score of 85 all out to win the game in just 6.3 overs.
Read next: Revealed – The 9 best T20 World Cup batters of all time
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