Punjab’s Abhishek Sharma smashes 12-ball fifty en route to 32-ball century against Bengal

Punjab opener Abhishek Sharma lit up the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Sunday with a blistering 12-ball half-century against Bengal at the Gymkhana Ground in Hyderabad. His explosive start put him alongside the joint-third-fastest fifties in men’s T20 cricket, and the joint-second-fastest by an Indian.

Facing a Bengal attack led by Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep, Abhishek wasted no time. He hammered five fours and five sixes to race to the landmark, giving away just one dot ball in the process. He kept the momentum going, racing to a century in only 32 balls. His final tally included 11 sixes and seven fours.

Just short of a global mark

Despite his assault, Abhishek fell just shy of breaking the world record for the fastest men’s T20 century, held by Estonia's Sahil Chauhan, who reached three figures in 27 deliveries. Still, the 25-year-old’s innings was one of the most dominant displays seen in the domestic tournament.

His partner at the top, Prabhsimran Singh, played his part with a quick 70 off 35 balls as Punjab piled on the pressure from the first over. Abhishek eventually finished with 148 off 52 balls, powering Punjab to a huge 310/5 in 20 overs — the second-highest total in the tournament’s history. Only Baroda’s 349/5 against Sikkim in 2024 sits above it.

Joining elite company

Abhishek is now the fifth batter to bring up a T20 fifty in 12 balls. His mentor, Yuvraj Singh, was the first to do it during the 2007 T20 World Cup, when he famously struck six sixes in an over. Chris Gayle matched the feat in the Big Bash League in 2016, followed by Hazratullah Zazai in the Afghanistan Premier League. The latest came when Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan struck a 12-ball fifty during his unbeaten 144 off 41 balls against Cyprus.

The fastest T20 fifty remains with Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee, who reached it in nine balls at the 2023 Asian Games. India’s Ashutosh Sharma sits second with an 11-ball effort in last season’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.