Abhishek Sharma hits fastest T20I century by an Indian
India opener Abhishek Sharma reached his century off 30 balls against Afghanistan in the third and final T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian batter. He made 108 runs off 34 balls with 11 sixes and nine fours, bettering Rohit Sharma's 35-ball mark against Sri Lanka in December 2017. After reaching the milestone he removed his helmet, sat down and struck a meditation yoga pose.
Source
Times of India — Top · read the original report ↗
Desk check · compared with the source
What the desk checked (5)
- Abhishek Sharma scored the fastest T20I century by an Indian, off 30 balls against Afghanistan in Delhi — Figure appears in the source text and in its accompanying records table; no external verification possible.
- He made 108 runs off 34 balls with 11 sixes and nine fours — Figures stated directly in the source; internally consistent.
- He broke Rohit Sharma's record of a century off 35 balls against Sri Lanka in December 2017 — Source states December 2017; its records table lists the venue as Indore for that innings.
- The century was the fastest by any batter from a Test-playing nation — Claim in source, supported by its table listing Sikandar Raza and Finn Allen at 33 balls.
- Abhishek celebrated by removing his helmet and sitting in a meditation yoga pose; his father and coach Gautam Gambhir were seen reacting — Descriptive observation reported by the source without named attribution.
Analysts’ view opinion
Abhishek Sharma's 30-ball century is more than a record entry — it is a marker of how aggressively India's T20 openers now think. 108 off 34 balls with 11 sixes and nine fours means the bulk of his runs came in boundaries, and reaching the mark in the ninth over shows he did not throttle back once the powerplay ended. In doing so he went past Rohit Sharma's 35-ball mark from December 2017 and, per the story, recorded the fastest T20I hundred by a batter from a Test-playing nation.
- 108 from 34 balls with 20 boundaries points to a boundary-first method rather than mere hot-streak timing.
- Completing the hundred in the ninth over suggests he kept attacking even after the field spread, which is the harder part of such an innings.
- Overtaking Rohit's 2017 record against Sri Lanka places Abhishek firmly in India's line of high-tempo T20 openers.
- This was his third century in T20 cricket alongside 12 fifties, indicating a repeatable scoring pattern rather than a one-off.
- The helmet-off, seated meditation-yoga celebration fits the modern T20 profile: extreme aggression paired with a deliberately calm frame of mind.
What to watch — The real test is whether Abhishek can carry this tempo against stronger bowling attacks and under big-tournament pressure.
The story does not establish the match result, the series scoreline or how Abhishek's innings ended, and one knock alone cannot settle his long-term place.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 5 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
India opener Abhishek Sharma scored the fastest T20 International century by an Indian batter during the third and final T20I against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The left-hander reached three figures in 30 balls, bettering former India captain Rohit Sharma's 35-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in December 2017. His knock is also listed as the fastest T20I century by any batter from a Full Member (Test-playing) nation. He marked the milestone by removing his helmet, sitting on the ground and striking a meditation yoga pose.
Key facts
- Abhishek Sharma reached his T20I century off 30 balls against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.
- He scored 108 runs off just 34 balls, with 11 sixes and nine fours.
- He brought up the hundred with a single in the ninth over of India's innings.
- The previous Indian record was Rohit Sharma's 35-ball century against Sri Lanka at Indore in 2017 (December 2017).
- The innings is the fastest T20I century by any batter from a Full Member (Test-playing) nation.
- Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe vs Gambia, Nairobi-Ruaraka, 2024) and Finn Allen (New Zealand vs South Africa, Kolkata, 2026) each took 33 balls.
- David Miller (South Africa vs Bangladesh, Potchefstroom, 2017) also reached a hundred in 35 balls.
- It was Abhishek's third century in T20 cricket; he also has 12 half-centuries in the format.
Timeline
- December 2017Rohit Sharma scores a 35-ball T20I century against Sri Lanka at Indore, then the fastest by an Indian.
- 2017David Miller hits a 35-ball T20I hundred for South Africa against Bangladesh at Potchefstroom.
- 2024Sikandar Raza makes a 33-ball T20I century for Zimbabwe against Gambia at Nairobi (Ruaraka).
- 2026Finn Allen scores a 33-ball T20I hundred for New Zealand against South Africa in Kolkata.
- Thursday (third and final T20I vs Afghanistan, Delhi)Abhishek Sharma reaches 100 off 30 balls and goes on to make 108 off 34 balls, breaking Rohit's Indian record.
Who has a stake
- Abhishek Sharma — Left-handed India opener who now holds the record for the fastest T20I century by an Indian and by a Full Member batter.
- Rohit Sharma — Former India captain whose 35-ball record from December 2017 has been surpassed.
- Indian team and head coach Gautam Gambhir — Gains a dominant top-order option; Gambhir was seen smiling in approval during the knock.
- Afghanistan cricket team — Bowling attack on the receiving end of the record innings in the third and final T20I.
- Abhishek's father — Seen smiling and clapping from the stands as his son completed the milestone.
- Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi — Venue that hosted the record-breaking T20I innings.
Why it matters
The record signals how sharply T20 strike rates have risen: Abhishek's 30-ball hundred beats marks set by established power-hitters from Test-playing nations, including Rohit Sharma and David Miller. For India, it strengthens an aggressive opening template built on scoring at pace from the first over. Milestones like this also feed selection debates and shape how young Indian batters approach the shortest format.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- Abhishek Sharma: fastest T20I century by an Indian, 30 balls vs Afghanistan at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.
- His full score: 108 runs off 34 balls with 11 sixes and nine fours.
- Previous Indian record: Rohit Sharma, 35 balls vs Sri Lanka, Indore, December 2017.
- Also the fastest T20I hundred by a batter from a Full Member (Test-playing) nation.
- Other fast T20I hundreds: Sikandar Raza (33, 2024), Finn Allen (33, 2026), David Miller (35, 2017).
- It was Abhishek's third T20 century; he has 12 half-centuries in the format.
Mains framing
Abhishek Sharma's 30-ball T20I hundred against Afghanistan is a data point in the wider evolution of the shortest format, where the benchmark for a fast century has compressed from 35 balls in 2017 (Rohit Sharma, David Miller) to 33 balls (Sikandar Raza in 2024, Finn Allen in 2026) and now 30. The drivers, on the evidence of the source, are aggressive opening intent and boundary-hitting volume: 11 sixes and nine fours in a 34-ball 108, with the milestone reached off a single in the ninth over. Such records also carry institutional implications: they validate India's investment in a young, attacking top order under head coach Gautam Gambhir, and they raise expectations of sustained strike rates rather than one-off innings. The way forward lies in converting spectacular individual peaks into consistent match-winning contributions across conditions and oppositions, since a single record innings against one attack does not by itself settle questions of form, temperament or long-term selection.
Key terms
- T20I
- Twenty20 International, the 20-overs-a-side international format in which this record was set.
- Full Member team
- A Test-playing nation; Abhishek's hundred is the fastest T20I century by any batter from such a team.
- Arun Jaitley Stadium
- The Delhi venue where the third and final T20I between India and Afghanistan was played.
- Opener
- A batter who begins the innings; Abhishek is a left-handed opener for India.
- Half-century
- A score of 50 or more; Abhishek has 12 of them in T20 cricket alongside three centuries.
Practice questions
- How has the benchmark for the fastest T20I century by batters from Full Member nations changed between 2017 and 2026, and what does this suggest about the format's evolution?
- Discuss the significance of an aggressive opening pair in T20 cricket, using Abhishek Sharma's 34-ball 108 against Afghanistan as an illustration.
- Do individual batting records adequately measure a player's value in T20 internationals? Argue with reference to the details of Abhishek Sharma's innings.
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.