Record Alert in Durham: Abhishek Sharma becomes quickest to 100 T20I sixes in series opener vs England
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Record Alert in Durham: Abhishek Sharma becomes quickest to 100 T20I sixes in series opener vs England")
Abhishek Sharma becomes quickest to 100 T20I sixes in series opener vs England Photograph: (X/@BCCI)
Abhishek Sharma smashed a blistering 24-ball 59 against England in Durham, breaking the world record for the fastest 100 T20I sixes. Read the full match report as India recovers from 6/2 to post 189/7.
Team India’s T20I opener, Abhishek Sharma, scored his 11th T20I fifty during the series opener against England in Durham and, in the meantime, also became the quickest to 100 sixes in this format. Abhishek scored 59 off just 24 balls, hitting four sixes and six fours, striking at close to 250 (245.83). The attacking left-hander, who came into this match on the back of a fifty against Ireland almost a week ago, took 785 balls to reach this milestone, four balls fewer than West Indian opener Evin Lewis, who took 789 balls to complete 100 T20I sixes.
Batting first after winning the toss, India lost Sanju Samson cheaply inside the second over to Saqib Mahmood, his third single-digit score in the last three T20Is. World number one T20I batter, Ishan Kishan, departed in the same over due to a miscommunication, leaving India reeling at 6/2 in two overs.
Captain Shreyas Iyer and Abhishek steadied India’s innings, with Abhishek taking the attacking route. He clobbered Mahmood for a boundary and two sixes in his second over before smashing Luke Wood and others to complete another fifty against his favourite T20I opponents. He completed the half-century in 20 balls, raising his bat to the cheers from the Durham crowd on Wednesday evening (Jul 1).
Fastest to 100 T20I sixes (ball-wise)
Meanwhile, following Abhishek’s dismissal, Iyer took charge of India’s innings, scoring his first fifty as India’s T20I captain. The right-hander was clinical with his running between the wickets and shot selection, helping India sit in the driver’s seat.
Tilak Varma did try his hand at increasing the scoring rate but fell prey to Mahmood’s lower full toss, caught at short fine leg. His departure saw lanky Shivam Dube joining his captain in the middle, with the pair making merry under cloudy skies.
Iyer got out on a well-made 68 inside the 18th over before Axar Patel and Harshit Rana followed him soon after. Dube stood his ground, whacking three sixes and two fours for his unbeaten 42 off 21 balls, helping India post a fighting total (189 for seven).
