Shivam Dube’s Blazing Fifty Leads India in T20 Thriller Against New Zealand

Shivam Dube delivered an outstanding performance by achieving the third-fastest half-century for an Indian in T20 Internationals during the fourth T20I match against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Dube reached his fifty in just 15 balls, hitting a six over deep backward square-leg off a full toss from pacer Jacob Duffy. Initially given out leg-before on the previous ball, Dube successfully overturned the umpire’s decision by proving he had an inside edge upon review.

In the earlier overs, Dube significantly accelerated India’s chase by hitting leg-spinner Ish Sodhi for two fours and three sixes. Among Indians, only Yuvraj Singh (12 balls) and Abhishek Sharma (14 balls) have recorded quicker fifties in T20Is. Hardik Pandya’s 16-ball fifty against South Africa last year ranks as the fourth-fastest.

### Fastest Fifties by Indians in T20Is
– Yuvraj Singh – 12 balls – vs England – Durban (2007)
– Abhishek Sharma – 14 balls – vs New Zealand – Guwahati (2026)
– Shivam Dube – 15 balls – vs New Zealand – Visakhapatnam (2026)
– Hardik Pandya – 16 balls – vs South Africa – Ahmedabad (2025)
– Abhishek Sharma – 17 balls – vs England – Wankhede (2025)

Published on January 28, 2026.