Sarfaraz Khan hits fastest 15-ball fifty in Vijay Hazare Trophy, smashes 30 in Abhishek Sharma's over, but team still loses

Making a strong statement after being ignored by the Indian selectors, Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan today made headlines by smashing the fastest half-century in Vijay Hazare Trophy history. In a stunning record, Sarfaraz Khan reached his fifty in just 15 balls against Punjab. Despite his explosive knock, Mumbai lost a thrilling Group C match by just one run.

Sarfaraz Khan scores fastest fifty ever in Vijay Hazare Trophy

Sarfaraz Khan, who did not find a place in India’s ODI squad for the New Zealand series, went hard after the Punjab bowlers from the first ball and showed no signs of slowing down. He reached his half-century in only 15 deliveries, the fastest in the history of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The earlier record belonged to Baroda’s Atit Sheth, who had taken 16 balls to reach fifty against Chhattisgarh in the 2020–21 season.

Sarfaraz even hammered Abhishek Sharma for 30 runs in a single over. His innings ended at 62 off just 20 balls, which included seven fours and five sixes.

Mumbai lost despite Sarfaraz’s blitz

Chasing a target of 216, Mumbai lost early wickets. Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored 23, while Musheer Khan made 21 before getting out. Sarfaraz then turned the match on its head with his aggressive batting and brought Mumbai back into the contest.

However, his dismissal by Mayank Markande proved to be a turning point. Captain Shreyas Iyer tried to steady the innings with a 45-run knock but also fell to Markande.

The middle and lower order could not finish the job. Suryakumar Yadav scored 15, Shivam Dube made 12, and Hardik Tamore added 15, but Mumbai eventually fell short by one run.

Punjab's solid performance

Punjab’s bowlers kept their calm in the final stages. Gurnoor Brar and Mayank Markande picked up four wickets each. Krish Bhagat and Harnoor Singh chipped in with one wicket apiece to seal a narrow win for Punjab.

Earlier in the match, Punjab posted a competitive total of 216 after being asked to bat first. Ramandeep Singh top-scored with 72 off 74 balls, while Anmolpreet Singh added 57 off 75 balls.

For Mumbai, Musheer Khan impressed with three wickets. Onkar Tarmale, Shivam Dube, and Shashank Attarde took two wickets each.

Vijay Hazare Trophy Group C standings and qualification

With this win, Punjab finished at the top of the Group C points table. Despite the loss, Mumbai also made it to the quarter-finals. Both teams have now booked their place in the knockout stage, but it was Sarfaraz Khan’s record-breaking knock that stole the spotlight.