Key Points
- Abhishek Sharma blasted a 14-ball 50 against New Zealand in the third T20I in Guwahati.
- It is the second fastest T20I fifty by an Indian, behind only his mentor Yuvraj Singh's 12-ball half-century.
- After the match, Yuvraj pulled Abhishek's leg saying he still couldn't get a 12-ball fifty.
Abhishek Sharma unleashed a breathtaking display of power-hitting, tearing into the New Zealand bowling attack to race to a 14-ball fifty in the third T20I in Guwahati on Sunday, January 25, 2025.
Abhishek, who smacked seven boundaries and five sixes in his unbeaten 20-ball 68, made light work of chasing down the target of 154 in the company of Skipper Suryakumar Yadav (57 not out off 26 balls; 6x4, 3x6) as India romped home in 10 overs and sealed the five-match series 3-0.
From the moment he took guard, the southpaw played with fearless intent, dispatching anything in his arc to all parts of the ground and leaving a hapless Kiwis side scrambling for answers.
In the process, Abhishek registered the second fastest half-century by an Indian in T20 internationals.
Fastest 50s in T20Is
Only his mentor Yuvraj Singh, whose iconic 12-ball fifty against England remains the benchmark, has reached the milestone quicker.
The fireworks continued off the field as well. After the match, Yuvraj was quick to add a touch of humour, playfully reminding his protege of the gold standard.
'Still can't get a 50 off 12 balls?' he quipped, underlining both the legacy and the lineage of Indian power-hitting, and the healthy banter between a mentor and a rising star.
'Well played - keep going strong,' Yuvraj, renowned for his flamboyance and aggressive batting in his heyday, added.
In fact, when asked during the post-match presentation whether he was trying to outpace his mentor, Abhishek said it was impossible for anyone to break Yuvraj's record.
However, he does not think Yuvi's feat is unbreakable.
'That's more than impossible for anyone (to break Yuvraj's record), but still, you never know. Any batsman could do it because I think all the batters have been batting really well in this series and going forward, it's going to be fun.' Abhishek said.
Yuvraj has been coaching the Punjab left-hander for years, grooming him into one of the best batters in T20 cricket.
'Three years ago, when I started working with him, he always told me that, as a player, doubts are natural. But he always reassured me, saying, 'You will be there, and you will perform. You will win matches for India',' Abhishek said some months ago.
Yuvraj Singh slammed the fasted fifty in T20Is against England during the 2007 T20 World Cup when he carted Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over.
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