Abhishek Sharma delivered a breathtaking display of power hitting in Delhi on Thursday, becoming the fastest Full Member batter to score a century in men’s T20I cricket.
The India opener completed his hundred in only 30 deliveries during the third T20I against Afghanistan, producing a record-breaking innings packed with boundaries.
His performance also saw him erase Rohit Sharma’s previous Indian record of a 35-ball T20I century, set against Sri Lanka in 2017.
Abhishek Rewrites the Full Member Record
The 30-ball century moved Abhishek ahead of the previous joint record of 33 balls.
That mark had been achieved by Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza against Gambia in 2024 and New Zealand’s Finn Allen against South Africa at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Abhishek went three balls quicker than that mark while playing an innings that kept Afghanistan’s bowlers under pressure almost from the opening delivery.
A 16-Ball Fifty Sets the Tone
Abhishek didn’t need much time to find his rhythm.
He reached his half-century from just 16 balls, before accelerating even further during the next phase of his innings.
The second fifty took only 14 deliveries, allowing him to complete one of the quickest transitions from fifty to a hundred in T20I cricket.
His final score was 108 from 34 balls before he was dismissed in the 10th over.
His innings featured:
- 108 runs from 34 deliveries
- 9 boundaries for four
- 11 sixes
- 30-ball century
- 16-ball fifty
The 11 sixes accounted for a huge portion of his total and highlighted the aggressive approach that has become a key part of his T20 game.
India Gets a Huge Start
Abhishek’s innings put India in a commanding position early in the match.
When the opener was eventually dismissed, India’s score had already reached 142/1.
He had scored more than 76% of India’s runs at that point, while Sanju Samson contributed 34 runs from 25 balls during their opening partnership.
The rapid scoring rate gave India an ideal platform to build a substantial total.
Third T20I Hundred of His Career
The Afghanistan match also brought Abhishek his third century in T20 internationals.
Only two Indian batters have registered more T20I hundreds:
- Rohit Sharma: 5
- Suryakumar Yadav: 4
- Abhishek Sharma: 3
Considering his relatively young international career, the latest milestone further adds to his growing record in the format.
Fastest T20 Century Record Still Belongs to Sahil Chauhan
Abhishek’s achievement applies specifically to T20 internationals involving Full Member teams.
The overall record for the fastest century in T20 cricket remains with Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan.
Chauhan smashed a 27-ball hundred against Cyprus in 2024, leaving his name at the top of the broader T20 record list.
Another Milestone After Ranking Rise
The record-breaking knock came shortly after Abhishek climbed to second place in the ICC T20I batting rankings.
Before the third T20I, only his India teammate Ishan Kishan was ranked above him among T20I batters.
His latest innings could further strengthen his standing as one of India’s prominent attacking options at the top of the order.
Abhishek Sharma’s Record-Breaking Knock
Abhishek Sharma’s 30-ball hundred was a combination of speed, clean striking and relentless aggression.
After reaching 50 in 16 balls, he needed just 14 more deliveries to complete his century. Although his innings ended at 108, the damage had already been done.
The performance not only gave India a spectacular start but also placed Abhishek’s name in the T20I record books alongside some of the format’s most explosive batters.
