Fastest T20I fifty vs NZ: Ishan Kishan breaks huge record; surpasses Abhishek Sharma

Ishan Kishan slams fastest fifty vs NZ [Source: X]

Ishan Kishan came in as an injury replacement player for Tilak Varma who was ruled out of the New Zealand series, and instantly, the Jharkhand batter had his fair share of doubters who believed he was not a suitable replacement. However, in the second T20I against the Kiwis, the batter silenced everyone and played a crucial innings that gave life to Indian batting.

India needed a mammoth 209 to win the contest, and Kishan was already under pressure as India had lost both Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma in quick succession. However, the southpaw was unfazed as he played the knock of his life and smashed a 21-ball fifty to put India in the driving seat.

Alongside Suryakumar Yadav, Kishan played an aggressive knock as the duo ensured that India scored their third fastest team hundred in T20Is (just 7.5 overs). Moreover, Surya and Kishan created history as the pair registered the highest third-wicket partnership for India vs New Zealand.

Indian batters with fastest T20I fifty against New Zealand

In the process of scoring a lightning-quick fifty, Kishan surpassed Abhishek Sharma in a huge feat as he registered the fastest T20I half-century against the New Zealand side (21 balls). Abhishek Sharma held the previous record as he smacked the Black Caps for a 22-ball fifty in the previous game at Nagpur.

• Ishan Kishan came out of the syllabus for the Kiwis as his knock included 11 fours and 4 huge sixes as the batter took the game away from the visitors inside the powerplay. He was eventually dismissed for 76 off 32, and he played with a strike rate of 237.50, and stamped his authority as one of the best hitters in Indian cricket.
• The previous record holder was Abhishek Sharma, who, in the last contest in Nagpur decimated the Kiwis as he smacked 84 off 35 balls and narrowly missed out on a hundred.
• Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul also occupy the list as the former T20 captain smacked a 23-ball fifty in the 2020 T20I series (at Hamilton), and on the same tour, KL Rahul also hammered a 23-ball half-century, but the venue was different (Auckland).

Has Kishan replaced Samson as the new opener?

This knock was crucial from Kishan’s perspective as the southpaw failed in the first T20I and was under pressure heading into the Raipur clash. Batting at number 3, he took the New Zealand attack apart with ease, and now the question arises: Should he be promoted at the top in place of Sanju Samson?

Just like Kishan, Samson also had a golden opportunity to seal his place as an opener for the T20 World Cup, but back-to-back failures have raised concerns about his form. Tilak Varma will be fit for the World Cup, and if Kishan continues to maintain his red-hot form, India might be tempted to play him as an opener to replace the out of form Samson.