In the fifth and final T20I of the series against England, Abhishek Sharma completely destroyed the English attack. At the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, February 02, England won the toss and encouraged the Indian side to bat first. They quickly came to rue the choice, though, as Sharma and opening partner Sanju Samson began to hit massive hits right away.
Samson left after scoring 16 runs off of seven deliveries, but the Punjab all-rounder made the most of the pitch limits to score a booming knock while the new non-striker was merely watching. Sharma saw Samson leave early after he had only scored five runs from his first four deliveries, but it did not in the least lessen his confidence.
Abhishek Sharma ran amok against Jofra Archer in the very next over, scoring 18 runs, including two stunning sixes and a boundary.
Without even considering avoiding a single delivery that came his way, the Chandigarh native scored another 15 runs off the following over. With a couple of sixes on the opening two balls, Sharma also went for a bazooka against Jamie Overton, who joined the assault in the fifth over. The second knock, which also celebrated the southpaw’s half-century, was a gorgeously lofted drive directly behind the bowler’s head.
In the game’s shortest format, Abhishek’s fifty was the second-fastest by an Indian batsman and came on the seventeenth ball he faced. Yuvraj Singh, who achieved the feat off 12 balls against England on September 19, 2007, during the first-ever T20 World Cup, was only surpassed by Abhishek.
On The Charge ⚡️⚡️
Abhishek Sharma is on the move and brings up his fifty 👌
Live ▶️ https://t.co/B13UlBNLvn#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/RFfx4Gae4k
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 2, 2025
That was not the end of the Punjab batter’s frenzy; he continued to score runs and gave the English bowlers absolutely no chance to stop him. In just 37 balls, the hitter achieved his century, making history as the second-fastest Indian to reach the three-figure mark. The big moment arrived in the eleventh over of the innings.
HUNDRED off 37 Deliveries 💥
..And counting!
Keep the big hits coming, Abhishek Sharma! 😎
Live ▶️ https://t.co/B13UlBNdFP#INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/pG60ckOQBB
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 2, 2025
Rohit Sharma, who scored a century off 35 balls against Sri Lanka at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore in 2017, is currently Abhishek’s lone rival.
Top 5 Fastest Hundreds in T20I for India
S. No. | Player Name | Opposition | Year | Balls Taken | Final Score |
1 | Rohit Sharma | Sri Lanka | 2017 | 35 | 118 |
2 | Abhishek Sharma | England | 2025 | 37 | 135 |
3 | Sanju Samson | Bangladesh | 2024 | 40 | 111 |
4 | Tilak Varma | South Africa | 2024 | 41 | 120* |
5 | Suryakumar Yadav | Sri Lanka | 2023 | 45 | 112 |