Ahmedabad, March 8 – A blistering half-century by Abhishek Sharma powered India to the highest Power-play score in the history of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, during the final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
India reached 92/0 in six overs, rewriting the record books in the T20 World Cup final. The previous best Power-play score in the tournament was 92/1 by the West Indies against Afghanistan in 2024, while India’s previous best in the tournament’s history came in the same edition, when they scored 86/1 against Namibia.
Abhishek led the charge, smashing 52 off 21 balls, achieving his half-century in just 18 deliveries, before being dismissed. This knock was also the fastest fifty by any batter in this edition of the T20 World Cup.
India's innings began cautiously, with the first two overs yielding only 12 runs, but the tempo quickly shifted. Abhishek and Sanju Samson launched a relentless attack on the New Zealand pace attack, scoring 80 runs in the last four overs of the Power-play.
Abhishek particularly targeted the seamers, stepping out to loft deliveries over the infield and punishing anything short with powerful pulls and cuts. His aggressive approach put New Zealand on the defensive, forcing them into frequent changes of pace and line.
The pressure eventually told when Lockie Ferguson conceded 24 runs in a single over, making it one of the most expensive overs in a T20 World Cup final. Abhishek continued the onslaught against Jacob Duffy, eventually achieving his fifty with a pulled boundary that triggered loud applause from the crowd and the Indian dugout.
While Abhishek dominated, Samson provided strong support with a brisk 33 off 17 balls, as the pair also registered the first 50-plus opening partnership in a men’s T20 World Cup final.
By the end of the Power-play, India had complete control of the contest, setting the stage for a formidable total with one of the most explosive starts ever seen in a T20 World Cup final.
Thanks to the outrageous hitting, India raced past the 100-run mark off the second delivery of the eighth over, finishing at 110/1 in eight overs. India thus reached the fastest team 100s in the T20 World Cup knockouts.
