Shivam Dube scored a blazing 15-ball half-century in India’s 4th T20I against New Zealand, keeping India competitive in a high-scoring Vizag match and earning widespread social media praise
Shivam Dube Blazes to 15-Ball Fifty as India Falls Short vs New Zealand in 4th T20I (Source: X/ @ICC)
In the 4th T20I of New Zealand’s 2026 tour of India, the Kiwis defeated India by 50 runs at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Batting first, New Zealand posted a formidable total of 215/7 in their 20 overs.
Despite the defeat, India’s all-rounder Shivam Dube put on a spectacular show with the bat. Dube reached his half-century in just 15 balls, hitting a four off Jacob Duffy on the fifth ball of the 13th over during India’s chase of 216. His aggressive innings featured two fours and six sixes, keeping India in contention for a while.
Dube’s 15-ball fifty is now the third-fastest half-century by an Indian batter in T20Is, behind Yuvraj Singh, who holds the record with a 12-ball fifty against England in Durban on September 19, 2007, and Abhishek Sharma, who made a 14-ball fifty against New Zealand in Guwahati on January 25, 2026.
While Shivam Dube played brilliantly under pressure, his innings came to an unfortunate end, ending his aggressive cameo prematurely.
Here is the list of players who have recorded the fastest 50 in T20Is.
| Player | Balls | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yuvraj Singh | 12 | England | Durban | September 19, 2007 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 14 | New Zealand | Guwahati | January 25, 2026 |
| Shivam Dube | 15 | New Zealand | Visakhapatnam | January 28, 2026 |
| Hardik Pandya | 16 | South Africa | Ahmedabad | December 19, 2025 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 17 | England | Mumbai (WS) | February 2, 2025 |
On a global level, the record for the fastest fifty in T20Is is held by Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee, who smashed a 9-ball fifty against Mongolia at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
| Player | Team | Balls | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dipendra Singh Airee | Nepal | 9 | Mongolia | Hangzhou | September 27, 2023 |
| Yuvraj Singh | India | 12 | England | Durban | September 19, 2007 |
| Mirza Ahsan | Austria | 13 | Luxembourg | Ilfov County | August 31, 2019 |
| Tadiwanashe Marumani | Zimbabwe | 13 | Gambia | Nairobi (Ruaraka) | October 23, 2024 |
| Muhammad Fahad | Turkey | 13 | Bulgaria | Sofia | July 12, 2025 |
| Jan Frylinck | Namibia | 13 | Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | September 18, 2025 |
During India’s innings, Dube particularly dominated New Zealand spinner Ish Sodhi in the 12th over, scoring 28 runs off five balls, which included two fours and three sixes. This performance now puts him joint-third among Indian batters for the most runs scored in a single over in T20Is.
| Player | Runs | Bowler | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yuvraj Singh | 36 | Stuart Broad | England | Durban | September 19, 2007 |
| Sanju Samson | 30 | Rishad Hossain | Bangladesh | Hyderabad | October 12, 2024 |
| Rohit Sharma | 28 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | Gros Islet | June 24, 2024 |
| Shivam Dube | 28 | Ish Sodhi | New Zealand | Visakhapatnam | January 28, 2026 |
Dube’s 12th-over blitz against Sodhi gave India a lifeline after early wickets fell and kept them competitive in a high-scoring chase. However, he narrowly missed surpassing Abhishek Sharma’s 14-ball fifty, finishing with the third-fastest T20I fifty by an Indian.
Following his spectacular innings, Shivam Dube has become the talk of social media, with fans and cricket enthusiasts flooding platforms to applaud his performance.
Despite being considered an underrated player, his remarkable display has earned widespread recognition and praise online.
Aakash Chopra 🗣️ “Shivam Dube is a very important player. People criticize him, but no one talks much about the innings he played in the T20 WC final or the bowling he did with the new ball in the Asia Cup.”
— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952) January 28, 2026
pic.twitter.com/lcoQaRWHHU
TWITTER HAS CHANGED THE LIKE
— lucifer (@lucifer4272) January 28, 2026
BUTTON FOR FIFTY OF 101M SIX FROM SHIVAM DUBE
Tap ❤️to check #indvsnz4tht20 #NzvsInd https://t.co/lQaCjepFqZ pic.twitter.com/KPa2rPuhJI
