West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer created history during his team’s T20 World Cup Super 8 match against Zimbabwe in Mumbai on Monday.
He scored an entertaining half-century against the African side, and by doing so, he registered the fastest half-century by a West Indian in T20 World Cups. He broke his own record for the fastest fifty by a West Indian in T20 World Cups.
Against Scotland earlier in this T20 World Cup, Hetmyer got to his half-century in 22 balls, thus breaking Chris Gayle’s record. Gayle had scored a 23-ball half-century against Australia in the 2009 edition, which was the quickest fifty by a West Indian batter back then.
Shimron Hetmyer shines with 19-ball 50
On Monday, Hetmyer got to the milestone in just 19 balls, slamming four fours and five sixes. The 29-year-old walked out to bat at No.3 after West Indies lost Brandon King in the third over.
He is currently the third highest run-getter in the 2026 T20 World Cup, having scored 206 runs from five matches at the time of writing this report.
He forged a 37-run partnership with Shai Hope for the second wicket, before the West Indian skipper was dismissed by Brad Evans in the sixth over.
The left-handed batter, though, never showed signs of slowing down as he enthralled the fans at the Wankhede Stadium by slamming regular boundaries.
At the time of writing this report, West Indies were 116/2 in the 11th over, with Hetmyer (69*) and Rovman Powell unbeaten, with the duo having combined an unbeaten 62-run partnership.
Till date, the Guyana-born cricketer has scored 1549 runs from 80 T20Is at a strike-rate of 138.55. This was Hetmyer’s ninth half-century in T20 internationals.
West Indies qualified for the Super 8 stage of T20 World Cup 2026 after finishing the group stage unbeaten. The Shai Hope-led side topped Group C with eight points from four matches.
In the Super 8 stage, South Africa and India are West Indies’ other opponents in Group 1.
West Indies will next take on the Proteas in Ahmedabad on 26 February, before facing India in Kolkata on 1 March. West Indies have won the T20 World Cup title twice, in 2012 and 2016.
