Abhishek Sharma scored a 20-ball half-century as India beat England by seven wickets Wednesday in the first T20 of their five-match series. India's opener smacked five fours and eight sixes, scoring 79 off 34 balls,

What was Abhishek's reward after the match? A standing ovation from a capacity Eden Gardens aside, praise from his mentor Yuvraj, albeit in a cheeky way.

Abhishek Sharma deserves a longer rope in the T20I side, said spinner Piyush Chawla after the batter's incredible 79-run knock against England. Abhishek lit up the Eden Gardens in the 1st T20I match vs England and scored a match-winning innings laced with 8 sixes and 5 boundaries.

Yuvraj Singh playfully lauded Abhishek Sharma for his scintillating knock against England, blending wit with praise, as the young opener's 79-run innings powered India to a commanding seven-wicket victory in the T20I series opener in Kolkata.

Throughout the entirety of Indian teams playing Y20I matches, there have been a lot of players who have made big numbers for the team. Here is a list of players who have the fastest fifties for India.

Abhishek Sharma engineered an explosive performance and delivered India's second-fastest fifty for India against England (in terms of balls faced) in the T20I format at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Indian left-handers bashing English bowlers in the T20I format has been a love affair that became famous with Yuvraj Singh's exploits in the 2007 T20 World Cup.

The parallels between Abhishek’s performance and Yuvraj Singh’s legendary feats weren’t lost on fans or the cricketing fraternity.