In a recent cricket match in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Ashutosh Sharma, a middle-order batsman for Railways, made a significant achievement.
According to ESPNcricinfo report, He broke the long-standing record of the fastest T20 fifty by an Indian, previously held by Yuvraj Singh for 16 years. Ashutosh managed to reach his fifty in just 11 balls during a Group C clash against Arunachal Pradesh in Ranchi.
Ashutosh came to the crease with Railways at a score of 131 for 4, and there were only five overs left in the innings. In an incredible display of batting, he smashed 53 runs off just 12 balls, hitting eight sixes and one four. Four of his sixes went over the covers and long-off area, two cleared the long-on boundary, and two more sailed over the leg-side boundary behind square. He achieved a remarkable strike rate of 441.66. However, he was dismissed on the very next ball after reaching his record-breaking half-century.
This exceptional performance by Ashutosh Sharma helped Railways amass 115 runs in the final five overs, resulting in a commanding total of 246 for 5. In response, Arunachal Pradesh was bowled out for just 119 runs, losing by a significant margin of 127 runs.
Ashutosh, who is 25 years old, was playing only his second T20 match for Railways and his tenth overall. He made his T20 debut in 2018 for Madhya Pradesh and last played in the format in 2019. He has also featured in only one 50-over game, representing Madhya Pradesh in 2019, and is yet to make his debut in first-class cricket.
It’s worth noting that Yuvraj Singh’s record for the fastest fifty in T20 cricket overall was also broken recently by Dipendra Singh Airee from Nepal, who achieved this feat against Mongolia in the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Yuvraj’s iconic innings in Durban is particularly remembered for hitting six sixes in a single over off Stuart Broad.
