Indian opener Abhishek Sharma delivered a masterclass in aggressive batting at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday, slamming a blistering 30-ball century against Afghanistan during the third T20 international. His explosive performance set the home crowd ablaze as India, already holding a 2-0 series lead, looked to capitalize on their decision to bat first.
Sharma’s innings finally concluded at 108 off 34 deliveries, an effort that featured nine fours and 11 sixes. His dominance was brought to an end by Rashid Khan, who secured a catch behind the stumps from Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the tenth over. The crowd showed their appreciation with a standing ovation as the batsman exited the field.
With this feat, Sharma surpassed previous records held by Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza, who scored a 33-ball ton against Gambia in 2024, and Finn Allen, who achieved the same mark during New Zealand’s T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa earlier this year. Globally, the record for the fastest T20 century remains with Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan, who hit the mark in just 27 balls, followed by Turkey’s Muhammad Fahad who took 29.
The intensity of Sharma’s assault was immediate. After a steady opening against pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, he dismantled Azmatullah Omarzai in the second over. He later punished Mohammad Nabi for two sixes and a boundary, bringing his personal half-century up in a mere 16 balls.
His scoring rate in the powerplay reached a record-breaking 76 runs off 22 balls, marking the highest individual score in the first six overs of a Men’s T20I match. Celebrating his century with a trademark meditation pose, Sharma signaled his focus, while his father, Rajkumar Sharma, and head coach Gautam Gambhir were spotted cheering from the stands.
Beyond the match highlights, Sharma established a new world record for the most T20I sixes hit during the powerplay phase within a single calendar year. Data from CricViz confirms that Sharma has elevated his 2026 tally to 37 maximums, successfully eclipsing his previous record of 34 set throughout 2025. The report also notes that by then, Abhishek had ensured early Diwali celebrations had arrived for everyone at Kotla. The report also notes that the swashbuckling opener hit a six to 99 and then completed the hundred with a single as he sat in meditation pose to celebrate. The report also notes that he finally fell for 108 off 34 balls to leg-spinner Rashid Khan with the 26-year-old’s knock laced with nine fours and 11 sixes to put India on course to a big total. The report also notes that the upgrade in Abhishek’s assault came when he clobbered Mohammad Nabi for two sixes and a four to bring up his half-century in a lightning-fast 16 balls. The report also notes that he went on to record 76 runs off 22 balls in the powerplay — the highest individual score ever recorded in overs 1-6 in Men’s T20Is. The report also notes that abhishek’s father, Rajkumar Sharma, seated in the hospitality stand, was a proud man and couldn’t help but smile and clap.
