Ashutosh Sharma, a middle-order batter for Railways, recently shattered Yuvraj Singh’s long-standing record for the fastest fifty by an Indian cricketer.
In a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Group C match in Ranchi against Arunachal Pradesh, Ashutosh smashed his half-century in just 11 balls, breaking Yuvraj’s 16-year-old record set during the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 when he reached his fifty in 12 balls against England.
Ashutosh, aged 25, came to the crease after Railways lost their fourth wicket and wasted no time in going after the Arunachal bowlers. He played a breathtaking innings, scoring 53 runs in just 12 balls, with the majority of his shots clearing the boundary rope, including eight sixes and a single four.
Ashutosh’s explosive knock was instrumental in boosting Railways’ total to 246 runs within the allotted 20 overs. He also set a new record in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy by achieving the highest strike rate in an innings where he faced more than 10 balls, with an astonishing rate of 441.66. His performance left Arunachal’s bowlers struggling to contain the onslaught.
Prior to Ashutosh’s achievement, Yuvraj Singh had held the record for the fastest fifty in T20 cricket, a record he held for 16 years until last month when Dipendra Singh Airee from Nepal broke it against Mongolia in the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Yuvraj’s memorable innings in Durban, where he hit six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad, remains a significant moment in the history of T20 cricket.