Ishan Kishan slams fastest fifty in India-Pakistan T20 WC matches
What's the story
Indian opener Ishan Kishan slammed a whirlwind half-century against Pakistan in the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. Kishan hammered a 40-ball 77 after Pakistan, having elected to field, unleashed a spin-heavy attack. He lost Abhishek Sharma early on before stealing the momentum from Pakistan. Notably, Kishan now has the fastest half-century in India-Pakistan T20 World Cup matches.
Knock
Kishan bolsters India in Powerplay
India lost the dangerous Abhishek in the very first over, bowled by Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha. However, Kishan put the pressure back on Pakistan after smashing Shaheen Afridi for a maximum on the second over's first ball. While Tilak Varma held one end, Kishan's blitz took India to 52/1 in six overs. Notably, 42 of India's runs in the Powerplay came by Kishan.
Finish
Kishan falls to Saim Ayub
Kishan reached his 27-ball half-century in the seventh over, bowled by Abrar Ahmed. He continued his onslaught as India were 82/1 by eight overs. In the next over, spinner Saim Ayub ended Ishan's stay, knocking him over. The latter slammed 10 fours and 3 sixes.
Milestone
Kishan reaches these landmarks
According to Cricbuzz, Kishan now has the fastest half-century in India-Pakistan T20 World Cup matches. In overall India-Pakistan T20Is, the Indian batter is behind Mohammad Hafeez (23 balls in Ahmedabad, 2012) and Abhishek Sharma (24 balls in Dubai, 2025). Moreover, Kishan now has the third-highest individual score for India against Pakistan in T20Is, only behind Virat Kohli's 82* and 78*.
Career
A look at his career numbers
According to ESPNcricinfo, Kishan raced to his second half-century in the T20 World Cup. This was his 10th 50-plus score in the format, including a ton. Kishan, who recently returned to India's T20I setup, now has 1,169 runs from 39 matches at an average of 30.76. He has a strike rate of 143.78. Earlier in the ongoing tournament, Kishan slammed 61 against Namibia.