Abhishek Sharma turns heads with iconic milestone; surpasses the likes of his mentor Yuvraj Singh and Chris Gayle to be the second cricketer to reach this feat in T20 internationals
The India vs. England final T20 game at the iconic Wankhede Stadium of Mumbai witnessed some breathtaking cricket action from Indian rising superstar Abhishek Sharma. The Wankhede Stadium was lit up by the swashbuckling shots the youngster played all around the park.
Abhishek Sharma made his intentions quite clear from the very first ball as he took Jofra Archer and Mark Wood for runs when the English pacers steamed in with their high-pace deliveries. This time around, Abhishek looked in full control of his shots and looked like an evolved cricketer.
Abhishek Sharma, during his stellar innings, created several new records while also threatening several unique records made in the past.
Abhishek Sharma’s records:
1. Second Fastest T20 Fifty for India
Earlier Yuvraj Singh and now Abhishek Sharma: Fastest fifties in T20 for India (Image Credit: X)
Abhishek Sharma scored the second-fastest T20I fifty for India, as he smashed the English bowlers for a 17-ball fifty, which was the second fastest after the former T20 legend Yuvraj Singh, who still holds the record for the world’s fastest T20 hundred in just 12 balls, which also came against the same opposition.
2. Second Fastest T20 Hundred for India
After Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball hundred, India remained at the top of the fastest T20 hundreds for long, with David Miller only leveling up with the former Indian great. Rohit Sharma, who had 5 T20I centuries, was surpassed only by Sikandar Raza, who now has the fastest hundred within 33 balls.
Abhishek Sharma scored a 37-ball hundred, which remained the second-fastest hundred scored by an Indian in T20 international cricket.
3. Highest Individual Score for India in T20s
Abhishek Sharma surpassed Indian great and fellow teammate Shubman Gill to become the recipient of India’s highest individual score in the shortest format of the game. Abhishek now has 135 runs scored in just 54 balls.
4. Fastest T20I hundred against England
England has never been an easy opposition to bat against, while Abhishek Sharma scored the fastest T20I hundred against the opposition in less than 40 balls, as the player to hold the record before included Aaron Finch, the former Aussie skipper.
Abhishek becomes the first Indian to score a T20I hundred and pick a wicket in a T20I match
Abhishek Sharma after the hundred in Mumbai (Image Credit: X)
The Indian superstar is a batting all-rounder who often rolls his hand over the ball with his slow, orthodox spin bowling after Abhishek Sharma’s splendid hand with the bat, where he scored a breathtaking hundred for India.
After this, he immediately took to the ground and later bowled an inning as well; he picked up 2 wickets in the over, giving away just 3 runs. The wickets included Brydon Carse and Jamie Overton.
Abhishek not only became the first Indian player to achieve this unique record but also the only second player in international cricket to have achieved this huge milestone after the veteran T20 all-rounder Glenn Maxwell.
Glenn Maxwell, in a match against England, scored a hundred (103*) and also picked 3 wickets in the same game; now Abhishek Sharma, with 135 runs and 2 wickets, has been included in the record list as well.