In a thrilling yet heartbreaking encounter at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India fell short by 50 runs against New Zealand in the fourth T20I on Wednesday. However, Shivam Dube stole the spotlight with a blistering performance that etched his name in the record books.
Dube smashed his way to a half-century off just 15 balls, securing the third spot for the fastest fifty by an Indian in T20 internationals. His explosive knock came at a time when India desperately needed a quickfire innings to chase down a challenging total.
Leading the elite list is the legendary Yuvraj Singh, who holds the record with a 12-ball fifty against England during the 2007 T20 World Cup in Durban. A close second is Abhishek Sharma, who achieved the feat in 14 balls earlier in the same series against New Zealand in Guwahati.
Dube’s position is solidified ahead of Hardik Pandya’s 16-ball fifty against South Africa in Ahmedabad in 2025. Abhishek Sharma also features in fifth place with a 17-ball effort against England at Wankhede Stadium that same year.
What made Dube’s innings even more remarkable was his assault in the 12th over bowled by Ish Sodhi. The powerful southpaw hammered two fours, three sixes, and a double, amassing 28 runs off the over, with an additional wide run. This feat places him joint third for the most runs scored by an Indian in a single T20I over.
Rohit Sharma matches Dube’s 28 runs from an over against Mitchell Starc in 2024, while Yuvraj Singh reigns supreme with 36 runs, including six consecutive sixes against England in 2007. Sanju Samson occupies second place with 30 runs off Rishad Hossain of Bangladesh in 2024.
Though India couldn’t clinch the victory, Dube’s fireworks provided a silver lining and showcased the depth of explosive batting talent in Indian cricket. Fans will remember this knock as a defining moment in his T20I career.