Abhishek Sharma played a sensational innings in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand. He scored 52 runs from just 21 balls, reaching his half-century in only 18 balls. His innings included six boundaries and three sixes before he was dismissed.

Despite struggling in earlier matches, coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav trusted Sharma and kept him in the playing XI for the final. Many expected Rinku Singh to replace him, but India backed his talent.

Sharma started slowly today but soon attacked the bowlers. He hit Jacob Duffy for two boundaries and smashed Lockie Ferguson for a boundary and a six. Before this match, Sharma had only one half-century in the tournament against Zimbabwe and had begun the tournament with three ducks.

Here are the three major records Abhishek Sharma broke in the IND vs NZ T20 World Cup final:

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1. Fastest fifty in a T20 World Cup final

Abhishek Sharma now holds the record for the quickest half-century in a T20 World Cup final. He reached 50 runs in just 18 balls. He beat the old record held by Heinrich Klaasen, who took 23 balls to score a fifty against India in 2024.

2. Best Powerplay Score T20 World Cup history

Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson opened the innings against New Zealand and scored 92 runs in the first 6 overs. This is the highest score ever made during a powerplay in T20 World Cup history. While the West Indies once scored 92 runs too, they lost a wicket. India made their runs without losing any players.

3. Second-Fastest Fifty for India

Abhishek’s 18-ball fifty is also the joint second-fastest for India in the history of the tournament. He is now tied with KL Rahul, who also scored a fifty in 18 balls. The top spot still belongs to Yuvraj Singh, who famously hit a fifty in only 12 balls.

India Retain T20 World Cup with Stunning Win Over New Zealand

India played an amazing game to win the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 final. They beat New Zealand by 96 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. India’s batters and bowlers all played very well together.

Chasing a big total of 256 runs, New Zealand struggled and were 72/5 at one stage. Tim Seifert scored a half-century, but it was not enough. New Zealand were bowled out for 159 runs in 19 overs, giving India a big win.

Earlier, Indian batters like Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma scored big to set a huge total of 255/5. Samson made 89 runs, Sharma scored 52 runs from 21 balls, and Ishan Kishan added 54 runs. Shivam Dube hit big shots in the last over. Their strong total helped India defend the title at the world’s biggest cricket stadium.