Shimron Hetmyer breaks Chris Gayle's 17-year-old record

Fresh DELHI: The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai witnessed a power-hitting masterclass as

tore into the opposition attack with breathtaking ease. The left-hander unleashed a barrage of towering sixes, racing to a blistering half-century off just 19 balls and leaving the crowd stunned by his audacity and timing.

With that knock, Hetmyer etched his name into West Indies cricket history.

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His 19-ball fifty is now the fastest by a West Indian in T20 World Cup history, surpassing the previous record held by the legendary

Gayle had smashed a 23-ball half-century against Australia during the 2009 T20 World Cup at The Oval. On that occasion, Gayle hammered 88 off 50 balls, guiding West Indies to a seven-wicket conquest and earning the Player of the Match award for his brutal, match-winning effort.

Hetmyer’s latest assault not only broke Gayle’s long-standing record but also bettered his own mark earlier in the tournament.

The southpaw had previously struck a 22-ball fifty against Scotland at Eden Gardens, but his Wankhede blitz raised the bar even higher.

Nineteen balls — that is all he needed to bring up a landmark half-century, underlining the fearless brand of cricket the Caribbean side is known for.

While Hetmyer now holds the West Indies record, the overall fastest fifty in T20 Globe Cup history still belongs to India’s Yuvraj Singh.

The swashbuckling left-hander famously blasted a 12-ball half-century against England in the inaugural 2007 edition, a knock highlighted by six consecutive sixes off Stuart Broad in a single over.