Fatima Sana made history by hitting the fastest half-century in women’s T20 internationals during Pakistan’s match against Zimbabwe. The 24-year-old achieved this milestone in just 15 balls, surpassing the previous record jointly held by Sophie Devine, Phoebe Litchfield, and Richa Ghosh, who all reached their fifties in 18 deliveries. Sana’s remarkable innings also equaled the record for the fastest fifty in women’s T20 cricket, matching the feat of Marie Kelly and Laura Harris.
Sana’s explosive performance came when she joined the crease with Pakistan comfortably placed at 152 for 4 in the 17th over. She unleashed a fierce onslaught on Zimbabwe’s bowlers, starting with a boundary off Michelle Mavunga and then hammering four consecutive boundaries off Kudzai Chigora. In a brutal over against Nomvelo Sibanda, Sana smashed 24 runs, including two sixes, to reach 48 off just 14 balls. With calm composure, she secured her record-breaking half-century with a couple of runs in the last over, finishing with a sensational 62 off 19 balls, comprising 10 fours and two sixes.
Prior to Sana’s extraordinary innings, the fastest fifty by a Pakistani in T20Is was held by Nida Dar, achieved in 20 balls against South Africa in 2019. Sana’s exceptional form in 2026 is evident as she leads Pakistan’s run-scoring charts in women’s T20Is, amassing 229 runs from five innings at a remarkable strike rate of 206.30, the highest among all women’s T20I batters in 2026 facing more than 10 deliveries. She had previously scored her highest T20I total of 90 off 41 balls against South Africa.
