Abhishek Sharma produced a remarkable batting performance against Afghanistan in Delhi, smashing a century in just 30 balls during the third T20I and setting a new record for the fastest T20I hundred by a batter from a Full Member nation.
The India opener attacked from the start and never allowed Afghanistan’s bowlers to settle. His innings eventually ended on 108 from 34 deliveries, but by then he had already written his name into the T20I record books.
Abhishek Goes Past Rohit’s Long-Standing Record
Before this match, India’s fastest T20I century belonged to Rohit Sharma, who scored a 35-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in 2017.
Abhishek needed just 30 deliveries to beat that mark.
His century was also faster than the previous Full Member record of 33 balls. That mark was shared by Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe and Finn Allen of New Zealand.
Raza had reached his century against Gambia in 2024, while Allen produced his 33-ball hundred against South Africa during the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Sixteen Balls for Fifty, Then Another Gear
What made Abhishek’s innings particularly impressive was the way he accelerated after reaching his half-century.
The first 50 came from only 16 balls. Instead of slowing down after reaching the milestone, he increased the tempo and scored his next 50 runs in just 14 deliveries.
He completed his century with a six, bringing up the milestone from 30 balls.
By the time Afghanistan finally got his wicket in the 10th over, Abhishek had scored:
108 runs from 34 balls, including nine fours and 11 sixes.
His 11 sixes accounted for a significant portion of his score and repeatedly put the Afghanistan attack under pressure.
India Receives a Flying Start
Abhishek’s assault gave India an extraordinary beginning to the innings.
When he was dismissed, India had already moved to 142/1. The opener had contributed more than three-quarters of the team’s runs at that point.
Sanju Samson, who opened alongside Abhishek, scored 34 from 25 balls, providing support while his partner took most of the attacking responsibility.
The partnership allowed India to maintain a remarkable scoring rate during the early overs.
Abhishek Now Has Three T20I Hundreds
The century was the third of Abhishek Sharma’s T20I career.
Only Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav have scored more T20I centuries for India. Rohit has five, Suryakumar has four, while Abhishek has now moved to three.
The latest innings also comes at a time when Abhishek has been climbing the T20I batting rankings. He had moved to No. 2 before the match, with teammate Ishan Kishan above him.
Fastest T20 Hundred Still Belongs to Sahil Chauhan
There is an important distinction between the Full Member T20I record and the overall T20 record.
Abhishek’s 30-ball effort is the fastest century by a Full Member batter in T20Is, but the fastest century in men’s T20 cricket remains with Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan.
Chauhan smashed his hundred from just 27 balls against Cyprus in 2024.
A Night to Remember for India’s Opener
Abhishek Sharma’s latest performance was a clear demonstration of his aggressive approach at the top of India’s batting order.
Going from 50 to 100 in only 14 balls, hitting 11 sixes and breaking Rohit Sharma’s previous Indian record made the innings especially memorable.
His final score of 108 may have come to an end sooner than he would have wanted, but the record had already been secured.
The 30-ball century now gives Abhishek another major milestone as he continues to establish himself as one of India’s most attacking batters in T20 cricket.
