IND vs NZ: Abhishek Sharma breaks Yuvraj Singh’s record with 18-Ball fifty in T20 World Cup 2026 final after father’s blessing

In the T20 World Cup 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Indian opener Abhishek Sharma played an amazing game against New Zealand. He turned his bad form into a memorable show of aggressive batting.

Abhishek had a difficult time during the tournament, but he found his rhythm at just the right time. He hit six fours and three sixes to score 52 runs in just 21 balls before Rachin Ravindra got him out. His innings gave India a fantastic start and set the tone for the rest of the game.

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He achieved the quickest fifty in the history of tournaments and knockout rounds.

Abhishek got to his half-century in just 18 balls, which was the fastest fifty in the whole T20 World Cup 2026. This also made him the fastest player to reach fifty in a knockout stage game in the history of the tournament.

He broke several important records:

• He surpassed his mentor Yuvraj Singh, who had scored fifty runs in 20 balls against Australia in the 2007 semi-final in Durban.
• He passed Finn Allen from New Zealand, who hit 50 in 19 balls against South Africa in the 2026 semifinal in Kolkata.
• He also beat other records, like Jacob Bethell’s 19-ball effort.

List of the fastest fifties in T20 World Cup knockout matches, sorted by balls faced:

• 18 balls: Abhishek Sharma (India) vs. New Zealand in Ahmedabad, 2026 (Final)
• 19 balls: Finn Allen (New Zealand) vs. South Africa in Kolkata in 2026 (SF)
• 19 balls: Jacob Bethell (England) vs. India in Mumbai in 2026 (SF) 20 balls: Yuvraj Singh (India) vs. Australia in Durban in 2007 (SF)

Father’s blessings help the comeback

Abhishek had a difficult time leading up to the final, and his bat stayed mostly quiet. The day before the game, he asked his father for his blessing on the field, and his father was in the stands to see the historic knock.

That emotional support seemed to motivate the young left-hander, who silenced his critics and played an innings that changed the course of the match on the biggest stage.

Abhishek’s explosive start helped India gain a lot of momentum in the high-stakes final, showing that he is one of the game’s best players.

Samson joins elite list

Riding a sensational run of form, Sanju Samson registers his third consecutive fifty and becomes only the third player to score fifties in both the semi-final and final of a single edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.