Record shattered! Shimron Hetmyer breaks Chris Gayle's long-standing 17-year-old T20 World Cup milestone

Shimron Hetmyer (PTI Photo)

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.

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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

PlayerBallsMatchDateYuvraj Singh12India v England19/09/2007Stephanus Myburgh17Netherlands v Ireland21/03/2014Marcus Stoinis17Australia v Sri Lanka25/10/2022Glenn Maxwell18Australia v Pakistan23/03/2014KL Rahul18India v Scotland05/11/2021Shoaib Malik18Pakistan v Scotland07/11/2021Rohit Sharma19India v Australia24/06/2024Dasun Shanaka19Sri Lanka v Oman12/02/2026Aiden Markram19South Africa v New Zealand14/02/2026Mohammad Ashraful20Bangladesh v West Indies13/09/2007Yuvraj Singh20India v Australia22/09/2007Shadab Khan20Pakistan v South Africa03/11/2022Ishan Kishan20India v Namibia12/02/2026Mahela Jayawardene21Sri Lanka v Kenya14/09/2007Elton Chigumbura21Zimbabwe v UAE21/03/2014Quinton de Kock21South Africa v England18/03/2016Litton Das21Bangladesh v India02/11/2022William Jacks21England v Italy16/02/2026Michael Hussey22Australia v Pakistan14/05/2010Aaron Jones22USA v Canada01/06/2024Quinton de Kock22South Africa v England21/06/2024Glenn Phillips22New Zealand v Canada17/02/2026Benjamin Manenti22Italy v England16/02/2026Chris Gayle23West Indies v Australia06/06/2009

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