Abhishek Sharma hits 12-ball fifty for joint third fastest T20 half-century in Syed Mushtaq Ali
Hyderabad (PTI): Abhishek Sharma on Sunday smashed the joint third-fastest half-century and broke his own record for most sixes by an Indian in a T20 innings, blasting an unbeaten 148 in Punjab's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy clash against Bengal here.
His fifty, which came off just 12 deliveries, is also the joint second fastest by an Indian.
The World No 1 T20 batter hammered 16 sixes and eight fours overall, providing a strong platform for his side as he put on a whopping 205 runs inside 13 overs with opener Prabhsimran Singh.
His 16 sixes in an innings is now the joint third highest along with Afghanistan's Hazratullah Zazai and New Zealand's Finn Allen.
Estonia's Indian-origin Sahil Chauhan holds the record of most sixes in a T20 innings (18), which he hit against Cyprus in June 2024.
Abhishek hit a 12-ball fifty to equal the record of his mentor and former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh during the Elite Group C clash played here at the Gymkhana Ground.
Abhishek came out firing against a Bengal pace attack which included India bowlers Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep, as he faced only one dot ball while hitting five sixes and as many fours to make his half-century off 12 balls.
He targeted Bengal bowlers down the ground as well as on the leg side, with most of his sixes coming in front of the square. The record of fastest half-century for any Indian in men's T20 belongs to Ashutosh Sharma, who had recorded it in 11 deliveries for Railways against Himachal Pradesh in their Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy match in 2023-24.
Abhishek thus joins Yuvraj, West Indies' great Chris Gayle, Zazai and Chauhan in scoring half-centuries off 12 deliveries in men’s T20s.
The record of fastest fifty in T20s belongs to Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee, who had completed his in a mere nine balls against Mongolia at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Revanth Reddy slams BJP over 'Congress-mukt Bharat' sloganHyderabad, Feb 21 (PTI) Telangana Chief Mi
Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday asserted that money is not a priority for Gandhi-Nehru family, saying if the Congress workers pooled funds, they could raise atleast Rs 10,000 crores for the family.
Addressing a training programme organised at Vikarabad near here by AICC for District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, he accused the BJP of "insulting" Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi by levelling allegations of corruption against them.
He also said the family had sacrificed three generations for the nation.
"Along with Congress, if there is any party which has a history of 100 years in the country, it is the CPI. All others came into existence as political parties on the basis of freedom we secured, the Constitution we gave and after we (Congress) strengthened the country. Now, they are becoming dangerous parties by giving the slogan of 'Congress-mukt Bharat."
Describing the Congress as the "soul of India", he said parties like BJP are trying to weaken its legacy.
Questioning the corruption charges against the Gandhi-Nehru family, the CM asked, "Is money a priority for the Gandhi family which sacrificed three generations for the sake of the country?"
According to him, Congress workers in Telangana alone could mobilise Rs 1,000 crores if they chose to do so.
He alleged a conspiracy to silence the Gandhi-Nehru family, claiming that it repesents the Dalits, STs and minorities.
Reddy urged Congress leaders and workers to counter such attempts.
Referring to the freedom movement, he said while the Britishers did not take extreme action against Mahatma Gandhi, those with the ideology that BJP inherited took the life of Father of the Nation soon after Independence.
Highlighting the contributions of Nehru family to the country, he said, "Motilal Nehru donated assets worth thousands of crores to the country and Jawaharlal Nehru spent 10 years in jail" during freedom struggle, while former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives.
Though Rahul Gandhi inherited such a great legacy, he undertook a 'padayatra' across the nation, Reddy said.
He also said party workers who remained loyal when the Congress was in the opposition have been rewarded with nominated posts and MLA tickets after it came to power.
"You may feel that nobody is observing you. You may feel you will get (ticket to contest) in some quota if you take the support of a leader just before elections. But, there are no quotas now. Only merit quota is there in Congress," he said.
Reddy also urged the DCC presidents to treat their positions with utmost respect, avoid lobbying for various things and focus on people's welfare.
