Abhishek Sharma breaks all-time T20 World Cup record

India’s left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma smashed the fastest half-century in an ICC T20 World Cup final with just 18 balls, guiding his team to a blazing start against New Zealand in the 2026 finale here on Sunday.

Sharma, ranked No.1 in the ICC T20I Batting Rankings, had endured a difficult tournament before the final, leaving him with only 89 runs at an average of 12.71 heading into the summit clash.

However, the 25-year-old staged a stunning turnaround in the final. Launching an aggressive assault from the outset, Sharma reached his half-century in just 18 deliveries, surpassing Heinrich Klaasen’s 23-ball fifty set in South Africa’s unsuccessful run chase in the previous edition’s final.

Fastest half-centuries in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup finals

Abhishek Sharma (India) – 18 balls vs New Zealand, 2026

Heinrich Klaasen (South Africa) – 23 balls vs India, 2024

Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand) – 31 balls vs Australia, 2021

Sharma’s 52-run knock came off 21 balls, featuring six fours and three sixes, before he was caught behind off Rachin Ravindra in the eighth over.

Although he couldn’t convert the rapid fifty into a century, his explosive innings set the tone for India’s mammoth total of 255-5.

Notably, the fastest fifty in any T20 World Cup match remains with Sharma’s mentor, Yuvraj Singh, who smashed a 12-ball half-century against England in 2007.