Abhishek Sharma Becomes Fastest Ever to 100 T20I Sixes, Fifth Indian Overall

Durham, July 1: India opener Abhishek Sharma scripted a unique record during the first T20I against England at Chester-le-Street in Durham on Wednesday.

After being put into bat by captain Shreyas Iyer, India endured another poor start as both openers were dismissed inside the second over. Sanju Samson managed just one run before departing, while Ishan Kishan was dismissed for a duck as England capitalised on the overcast conditions.

With India under early pressure, Abhishek Sharma launched a counterattack. The left-hander got going in the fourth over, bowled by Saqib Mahmood, striking a boundary before smashing two consecutive sixes.

The two maximums helped Abhishek reach 100 sixes in T20I cricket and in the process he became the fastest batter among Full Member nations to achieve the feat in terms of balls faced.

Fewest Balls to Reach 100 T20I Sixes (Full Member Nations)

Interestingly, Abhishek has become the quickest to hit 100 sixes in T20Is, thereby surpassing West Indies opener Evin Lewis, who had reached the milestone in 789 deliveries. The Indian opener needed only 785 balls to bring up his century of sixes in the format.

Players who have hit 100 sixes in T20Is:

• Abhishek Sharma (India) 785
• Evin Lewis (West Indies) 789
• Finn Allen (New Zealand) 871
• Tim David (Australia) 931
• Colin Munro (New Zealand) 963
• Suryakumar Yadav (India) 1007

The record comes just days after Abhishek endured a difficult outing in Ireland, where he registered back-to-back ducks. The 24-year-old, however, responded positively in Durham, taking the attack to England's bowlers after India's top-order wobble.

The landmark is the latest addition to Abhishek's growing list of achievements in T20I cricket as he continues to establish himself as one of India's most explosive batters in the shortest format.