NEW DELHI: The rupee was a bundle of nerves at the open on Friday as it sank 24 paise to a 13-month low of 66.06 against the dollar, hit by rising crude prices and fiscal deficit worries.

It breached the 66 level for the first time since March 14, 2017.

The domestic currency on Thursday ended at 65.82. It has emerged as the worst performer among major Asian and emerging market currencies.

The rupee has fallen a staggering 60 paise in its recent bearish spell.

The rapid surge in global crude oil prices has already had an adverse impact on India's import bill and can further hit the country's fiscal arithmetic, a forex dealer said.

The domestic currency has been weighed down by a variety of other factors, including concerns that faster tightening of US monetary policy and President Donald Trump's protectionism will hurt the Indian economy the most and spark capital outflows, said a PTI report.

"The rupee continued its weakness... against the greenback on the back of firm oil prices ahead of OPEC meeting, higher US bond yields and foreign outflows. US dollar's firmness takes cues from the Fed's Beige Book, which outlined the economy to be positive despite recently imposed tariffs," Anand James, Chief Market Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, said.

On the global front, Oil prices held firm on Friday near three-year highs as ongoing Opec-led supply cuts drained out excess supplies. Brent crude oil futures were at $73.87 per barrel and US WTI crude futures $68.40.

Meanwhile, both Sensex and Nifty opened the day on a negative note on Friday, given weakness in banking stocks post RBI's hawkish policy stance and simmering oil prices.