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Abhishek Sharma smashed a 12-ball fifty, equalling Yuvraj Singh’s record, during Punjab’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy clash against Bengal in Hyderabad. He scored an unbeaten 148 with 16 sixes, joining an elite list of fastest T20 half-centuries

Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma on Sunday smashed the joint third-fastest half-century and joint second-fastest by an Indian in T20s, reaching the milestone off only 12 deliveries, as he blasted an unbeaten 148 in Punjab’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy clash against Bengal here.

The world No 1 T20 batter hammered 16 sixes and eight fours overall, providing a strong platform for his side as he put on a massive 205 runs inside 13 overs with opener Prabhsimran Singh. His 16 sixes in an innings is now the second highest in the tournament, behind Punit Bisht’s 17 for Meghalaya against Mizoram in the 2020-21 edition.

Abhishek’s 12-ball fifty equalled the record of his mentor and former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh during the Elite Group C clash at the Gymkhana Ground. He came out firing against a Bengal pace attack that included India bowlers Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep, facing only one dot ball while hitting five sixes and as many fours to reach his half-century.

Targeting the bowlers down the ground and on the leg side, most of his sixes came in front of the square.

The record for fastest half-century by an Indian in men’s T20s belongs to Ashutosh Sharma, who achieved it in 11 deliveries for Railways against Himachal Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2023-24.

Abhishek thus joins Yuvraj Singh, West Indies great Chris Gayle, Hazratullah Zazai and Sagar Chauhan in scoring half-centuries off 12 balls in men’s T20s. The overall record for fastest fifty in T20s belongs to Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee, who completed his in just nine balls against Mongolia at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.