- Abhishek Sharma’s 82 runs secured India’s T20I victory.
- He became fastest Indian reaching 6,000 T20 runs.
- Sharma achieved most T20I fifties under 25 balls.
- Abhishek and Ishan top 2026 T20I fifties count.
Abhishek Sharma produced another explosive T20I performance as India defeated Afghanistan by seven wickets in the series opener at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. His 82 off just 32 balls helped India chase down 157 with 38 deliveries to spare.
The left-hander smashed his 12th T20I half-century and dominated Afghanistan’s attack from the outset. After Sanju Samson’s early dismissal, Abhishek joined forces with Ishan Kishan to add 121 runs for the second wicket.
Kishan contributed a fluent 42, but Abhishek’s power-hitting remained the defining feature of India’s comfortable victory.
Abhishek Sharma Breaks India’s Fastest 6,000-Run Record
Abhishek became the fastest Indian batter to reach 6,000 runs in T20 cricket in terms of balls faced. He achieved the landmark in 3,420 deliveries, moving ahead of Suryakumar Yadav’s previous Indian record of 4,017 balls.
Only Finland-born New Zealand batter Finn Allen has reached 6,000 T20 runs quicker, doing so in 3,386 balls. West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell completed the milestone in 3,550 deliveries.
The fastest 6,000-run batters are:
Finn Allen: 3,386 balls
Abhishek Sharma: 3,420 balls
Andre Russell: 3,550 balls
Most T20I Fifties In Under 25 Balls
Abhishek also strengthened his position at the top of another T20I record list. His 22-ball fifty against Afghanistan was his 12th score of 50 or more in international T20 cricket that came in fewer than 25 deliveries.
No other batter has reached the mark as many times. Suryakumar Yadav is second on the list, having scored nine such fifties.
Abhishek And Ishan Lead T20I Fifty List In 2026
Abhishek’s latest half-century also took his tally for 2026 to six. Among batters from ICC full-member nations, only he and Ishan Kishan have registered more than five T20I fifties this year.
Both Indian batters have scored six half-centuries so far, while Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan is next with five.
Abhishek’s record-breaking knock not only powered India to a commanding win in Delhi but also further established him as one of the most destructive batters in the current T20I format.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
