NEW DELHI: The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai witnessed a power-hitting masterclass as Shimron Hetmyer tore into the opposition attack with breathtaking ease. The left-hander unleashed a barrage of towering sixes, racing to a blistering half-century off just 19 balls and leaving the crowd stunned by his audacity and timing.With that knock, Hetmyer etched his name into West Indies cricket history.
His 19-ball fifty is now the fastest by a West Indian in T20 World Cup history, surpassing the previous record held by the legendary Chris Gayle. Gayle had smashed a 23-ball half-century against Australia during the 2009 T20 World Cup at The Oval. On that occasion, Gayle hammered 88 off 50 balls, guiding West Indies to a seven-wicket win and earning the Player of the Match award for his brutal, match-winning effort.Hetmyer’s latest assault not only broke Gayle’s long-standing record but also bettered his own mark earlier in the tournament. The southpaw had previously struck a 22-ball fifty against Scotland at Eden Gardens, but his Wankhede blitz raised the bar even higher. Nineteen balls — that is all he needed to bring up a landmark half-century, underlining the fearless brand of cricket the Caribbean side is known for.While Hetmyer now holds the West Indies record, the overall fastest fifty in T20 World Cup history still belongs to India’s Yuvraj Singh. The swashbuckling left-hander famously blasted a 12-ball half-century against England in the inaugural 2007 edition, a knock highlighted by six consecutive sixes off Stuart Broad in a single over.
T20 World Cup – Fastest fifties
| player | balls | matches | date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yuvraj Singh | 12 | India v England | 19/09/2007 |
| Stephanus Myburgh | 17 | Netherlands v Ireland | 21/03/2014 |
| Marcus Stoinis | 17 | Australia v Sri Lanka | 25/10/2022 |
| Glenn Maxwell | 18 | Australia v Pakistan | 23/03/2014 |
| KL Rahul | 18 | India v Scotland | 05/11/2021 |
| Shoaib Malik | 18 | Pakistan v Scotland | 07/11/2021 |
| Rohit Sharma | 19 | India vs Australia | 24/06/2024 |
| Dasun Shanaka | 19 | Sri Lanka v Oman | 12/02/2026 |
| Aiden Markram | 19 | South Africa v New Zealand | 14/02/2026 |
| Mohammad Ashraful | 20 | Bangladesh v West Indies | 13/09/2007 |
| Yuvraj Singh | 20 | India vs Australia | 22/09/2007 |
| Shadab Khan | 20 | Pakistan v South Africa | 03/11/2022 |
| Ishan Kishan | 20 | India v Namibia | 12/02/2026 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 21 | Sri Lanka v Kenya | 14/09/2007 |
| Elton Chigumbura | 21 | Zimbabwe v UAE | 21/03/2014 |
| Quinton de Kock | 21 | South Africa v England | 18/03/2016 |
| Litton Das | 21 | Bangladesh v India | 02/11/2022 |
| William Jackson | 21 | England v Italy | 16/02/2026 |
| Michael Hussey | 22 | Australia v Pakistan | 14/05/2010 |
| Aaron Jones | 22 | usa v canada | 01/06/2024 |
| Quinton de Kock | 22 | South Africa v England | 21/06/2024 |
| Glenn Phillips | 22 | New Zealand v Canada | 17/02/2026 |
| Benjamin Manenti | 22 | Italy v England | 16/02/2026 |
| Chris Gayle | 23 | West Indies v Australia | 06/06/2009 |
