In a remarkable display of power-hitting, Ashutosh Sharma, the middle-order batsman for Railways, shattered Yuvraj Singh’s long-standing record for the fastest half-century by an Indian cricketer.
Ashutosh achieved this feat in breathtaking fashion, taking a mere 11 deliveries to reach fifty runs during a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Arunachal Pradesh in Ranchi. Yuvraj Singh had held this prestigious record for an impressive 16 years, having achieved a fifty in 12 balls during the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 against England.
Ashutosh joined the action with Railways at 131 runs for the loss of four wickets, with only five overs remaining in the innings. What followed was a remarkable onslaught, as Ashutosh bludgeoned his way to 53 runs from just 12 balls, an innings embellished with eight towering sixes and a solitary four.
Astonishingly, he lost his wicket on the very next delivery after reaching the record-breaking fifty, leaving the spectators in awe with his extraordinary strike rate of 441.66.
This remarkable display of power-hitting enabled Railways to accumulate an astounding 115 runs in the final five overs, concluding their innings at an imposing total of 246 for 5.
Ashutosh, aged 25, was participating in only his second T20 match for Railways and his tenth T20 match overall. His T20 debut dates back to 2018 when he represented Madhya Pradesh, and his most recent T20 outing was in 2019. In addition to his T20 appearances, he has played just one 50-over match, also for Madhya Pradesh in 2019, and is yet to make his debut in first-class cricket.
Yuvraj Singh’s record-breaking achievement remained unchallenged for 16 years until last month when Dipendra Singh Airee of Nepal set a new benchmark for the fastest T20 fifty in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, breaking Yuvraj’s record. Yuvraj’s legacy in the shortest format of the game is further embellished by his historic six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad during an unforgettable innings in Durban.
