Abhishek Sharma Sets T20 World Cup Record with Fastest Half-Century
Abhishek Sharma's Remarkable Comeback
Indian cricketer Abhishek Sharma made a stunning return to form at a crucial moment, achieving the fastest half-century in T20 World Cup knockout history during the final match. After a challenging tournament, where he struggled to perform, he chose the high-pressure final at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium to shine.
Before this match, Abhishek had only managed a single half-century against Zimbabwe in the Super Eights, following three consecutive ducks and battling food poisoning, which hindered his performance.
Sharma's Explosive Performance
In the final, Abhishek displayed exceptional skill against the New Zealand bowlers, hitting Jacob Duffy for two boundaries and then taking on Lockie Ferguson with a four and a six in the fourth over. He continued his assault with a six over long-off against Matt Henry, and then smashed Duffy for three fours and a six during the powerplay, reaching his half-century in just 18 balls, comprising three fours and four sixes.
He concluded his innings with a remarkable 52 runs off 21 balls, achieving a strike rate of 247.62, surpassing Finn Allen's previous record of a fifty in 19 balls during the semifinal against South Africa. Overall, Abhishek finished the tournament with 141 runs across eight innings, averaging 17.62 and maintaining a strike rate above 158, including two fifties.
Historic Opening Partnership
Abhishek and his partner Sanju Samson formed a formidable opening partnership, accumulating 92 runs during the powerplay without losing a wicket, marking the highest powerplay score in T20 World Cup history.
They particularly targeted Lockie Ferguson, scoring 24 runs off his over, which included a six and a four from each player, along with three wides. This performance placed Ferguson among the bowlers with the most expensive over in T20 World Cup finals, alongside Ben Stokes and Axar Patel.
Additionally, New Zealand's eight wides during the powerplay tied for the most by a Full Member side, while India's four overs to reach fifty set a record for the fastest team fifty in a T20 World Cup semifinal or final.
The 98-run partnership was also notable as it marked the first-ever half-century opening stand in men's T20 World Cup final history, surpassing the previous record of 48 runs set by Kamran Akmal and Shahzaib Hasan in 2009.
Match Details and Team Lineups
In the T20 World Cup 2026 final, New Zealand won the toss and elected to field against India.
Teams: India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah.
New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner(c), Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy.