Afghanistan's Mohammad Shahzad stunned cricketing fraternity after his incredible 74 runs off just 16 balls in the opening game of T10 League in Sharjah on Wednesday.

Shahzad smashed a blistering half-century off just 12 balls, setting record for fastest fifty in the 10-over format.

The carnage came as his side, Rajputs, were chasing 95-run target set by Shane Watson’s Sindhis in 10 overs. Rajupts chased it down in just 4 overs having lost no wickets.

Shazad’s innings included eight sixes and six fours. His partner Brendon McCullum helped with 21 off 8 balls.

Tom Moody, Australian coach of Sindhis, said that he had not believed reaching three-figures would be possible for a batsman in such an abbreviated format, but Shahzad’s feats had changed his view.

“If you had asked me that question before tonight, I would have said ‘No, there is no chance’,” Moody said as quoted by The National.

“This is my first experience of a T10 game. Looking at the wicket, looking at the size of the ground, looking at the striking by Shahzad, there is no reason a batsman couldn’t reach a hundred.

“It would be an extraordinary performance if someone did. I would be surprised if we saw an innings like that again in the next two weeks.

“I think we have been treated to something pretty special.”

Herschelle Gibbs, South African coach of Rajputs, was full of praise for Shahzad.

“I haven’t seen such clean hitting for a long time,” Gibbs said. “His wrists went through the ball beautifully and, everything they tried, he had an answer to.

“It can happen in these sort of formats, but that was on another level of striking. There weren’t any slogs, it was just proper hitting.”