
Courtesy: Instagram/BCCI
Abhishek Sharma grabbed a lot of eyeballs for breaking into the record books after scoring India’s second-fastest T20 International (T20I) century during the fifth T20I played at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. His exceptional 135-run knock off just 54 deliveries helped the Men in Blue deliver a target of 248 runs to England. The massive total shattered the English team’s confidence as they capitulated on 97 after playing 10.3 overs. Abhishek received the player of the match award for his sensational batting effort.
Following the match, the 24-year-old took to Instagram and wrote his feelings. He penned, “Cricket isn’t just a game, it’s a feeling and today I felt it all. Grateful for everything.” Reacting to the southpaw’s post, former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh wrote, “Sharma ji ko bolo thoda credit card ki limit badha den!”
The post-match presentation also saw Abhishek talking about how he fulfilled his mentor Yuvraj’s wish. Reacting to the question on whether Yuvraj would be jubilant with his innings, the Amritsar-born player said, “Probably he should be, I think, after this, but he always wanted me to, you know, bat till 15, 20 overs. And as I've been in this team as well, even Gauti Bhai wanted the same thing. So, I think today was my day, and I implemented it well.”
Abhishek achieves sensational feats with his Mumbai’s knock
Abhishek’s ton not only helped India conclude the series with a 4-1 victory margin but also helped him to add some phenomenal feats to his name.
1. With the 17-ball fifty, the youngster became the Indian with the second-fastest half-centurion, following his mentor Yuvraj Singh, who scored a 12-ball fifty against England in the T20 World Cup 2007.
2. Abhishek completed his ton in just 37 balls which made him the second-fastest centurion for India after Rohit Sharma. India’s longest-format captain struck a century in just 35 balls against Sri Lanka in 2017.
3. Abhishek also surpassed Rohit Sharma’s record of 10 sixes in a single T20I innings, clobbering 13 maximums, three more than his 37-year-old compatriot. Back in 2017, Rohit scored 10 maximums against Sri Lanka.
4. Abhishek’s 135-run knock also ranks top on the chart of the highest individual scores for India in T20Is. Earlier, Shubman Gill held the feat with an unbeaten 126-run innings against New Zealand in 2023.