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Cricket PlayersCSK's INR 75 lakh buy thrashes Abhishek Sharma for 30 runs in an over; scores fastest ever fifty in Vijay Hazare Trophy
Sarfaraz Khan sets a new record for fastest half-century in Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 62 off 20 balls.
Sarfaraz Khan lit up the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Thursday with a record-breaking blitz for Mumbai, smashing the tournament’s fastest-ever half-century even as his team fell short by a run against Punjab in Round 7.
The 27-year-old ripped through the landmark in just 15 balls, going past the previous Vijay Hazare Trophy record of 16 balls held by Baroda’s Atit Sheth (set in the 2020-21 season). The standout moment of Sarfaraz’s assault was a single over that swung the chase dramatically. He hammered Abhishek Sharma for 30 runs in one over, instantly dragging the game back in Mumbai’s reach.
Sarfaraz eventually finished with a jaw-dropping 62 off 20 balls, laced with seven fours and five sixes, before Mayan Markande ended the innings. Mumbai, however, could not convert the surge into a win and ended up losing the chase by one run.
Mumbai’s chase: The Sarfaraz storm, then a late wobble
Chasing 216, Mumbai lost early wickets with Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Musheer Khan departing before Sarfaraz walked in and flipped the script with a full-throttle counterattack. His onslaught briefly put Mumbai ahead of the game, but Punjab regained once Markande dismissed him.
Captain Shreyas Iyer steadied the innings with 45, but he too fell to Markande, leaving Mumbai to navigate the closing stretch under pressure. The finishing blow never landed - Suryakumar Yadav (15), Shivam Dube (12), and Hardik Tamore (15) were dismissed cheaply, allowing Punjab to hold their nerve at the death. Markande and Gurnoor Brar led the squeeze with four wickets each, with Krish Bhagat and Harnoor Singh chipping in.
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Earlier, Punjab posted 216 after being asked to bat, powered by Ramandeep Singh’s 72 and Anmolpreet Singh’s 57. Mumbai’s bowlers shared the load - Musheer took three wickets, while Omkar Tarmale, Dube, and Shashank Attarde picked up two each.
The one-run win ensured Punjab finished top of Group C, with both Punjab and Mumbai sealing quarter-final berths.
Sarfaraz Khan's record knock will bring relief not only in the Mumbai camp but also in the CSK camp. Notably, they had bought him during the IPL 2026 mini-auction for INR 75 lakh, ending his run of IPL snubs. The management will be delighted with the current form he is showing in domestic cricket. They will hope that he carries this striking momentum into the tournament as the yellow army chase their sixth IPL title.
