Abhishek Sharma’s Record-Breaking Century Powers India to a Monumental Victory Over England

In a breathtaking display of power-hitting and precision, Abhishek Sharma etched his name into the record books with a scintillating 135 off just 57 balls in the fifth T20I against England at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on February 2, 2025. His innings not only propelled India to a mammoth total of 247 for 9, their second-highest score in men’s T20Is, but also set the stage for a crushing 150-run victory, marking one of the most dominant performances in the format’s history.

Key Highlights of Abhishek Sharma’s Innings:

1. Highest Individual Score for India in Men’s T20Is:

• Abhishek’s 135 surpassed Shubman Gill’s 126* against New Zealand in 2023, making it the highest individual score by an Indian batter in men’s T20Is.
• It is also the second-highest score ever against England in T20Is, trailing only Aaron Finch’s 156 in 2013.

1. Second-Fastest Century for India:

• Abhishek reached his century in just 37 balls, the second-fastest for India behind Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball ton against Sri Lanka in 2017.
• Globally, this ranks as the eighth-fastest century in men’s T20Is.

1. Explosive Powerplay Performance:

• Abhishek scored 58 runs in the powerplay, the most by any Indian batter in the first six overs of a T20I.
• He brought up his fifty in just 17 balls, the second-fastest for India, behind Yuvraj Singh’s iconic 12-ball fifty against England in 2007.

1. Record-Breaking Six-Hitting Spree:

• Abhishek smashed 13 sixes, the most by an Indian batter in a single T20I innings, surpassing Rohit Sharma (10 vs Sri Lanka in 2017) and equalling efforts by Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma against South Africa in 2024.

1. Early Milestone Achievements:

• Abhishek reached his century in the 10.1st over, the second-earliest in terms of overs faced in men’s T20Is (where ball-by-ball data is available). The record is held by Sahil Chauhan, who reached his ton in 8.6 overs for Estonia against Cyprus in 2024.

1. Partnership Firepower:

• Abhishek shared a blistering 115-run partnership with Tilak Varma off just 7.1 overs, at a staggering run rate of 16.04—the highest for any 100-plus stand in India’s T20I history.

Team India’s Dominance:

1. Historic Total and Run Rate:

• India’s total of 247 for 9 is the second-highest against England in men’s T20Is, just one run shy of Australia’s 248 for 6 against England in 2013.
• Their 95 runs in the powerplay was the highest in that phase for India, surpassing their previous best of 82 runs against Scotland in 2021.

1. Bowling Brilliance:

• Varun Chakravarthy was instrumental in dismantling England’s batting lineup, finishing with figures of 4 for 18. His tally of 14 wickets across the five-match series is the most by an Indian bowler in a bilateral T20I series, surpassing his own record of 12 wickets against South Africa in 2023.
• England were bowled out for just 97 runs in 10.3 overs, their shortest all-out innings in men’s T20Is. This is also the second-shortest all-out innings by a Full Member nation, behind Bangladesh’s 9.3 overs against New Zealand in 2021.

1. Biggest Margin of Victory:

• India’s 150-run win is their second-largest margin of victory by runs in men’s T20Is, behind their 168-run triumph against New Zealand in 2023.
• For England, this defeat marked their biggest loss by runs in T20Is, surpassing their previous worst of 90 runs against India in 2012.

Statistical Milestones:

1. India’s Fastest Team Hundred:

• India raced to their team hundred in just 6.3 overs, the quickest in their T20I history, bettering the previous record of 7.1 overs against Bangladesh in 2023.

1. England’s Batting Collapse:

• Eight England batters were dismissed for single-digit scores, the most in a single T20I innings for them.
• Their total of 97 is the third-lowest all-out score in men’s T20Is where an individual batter scored a fifty.

1. Global Context:

• India now has eight wins by a margin of 100-plus runs in men’s T20Is, tied with Japan for the most such victories by any team.

Player Spotlight: Varun Chakravarthy

While Abhishek stole the limelight with his explosive batting, Varun Chakravarthy delivered a masterclass in spin bowling. His 14 wickets in the series are the joint-second most by any bowler in a bilateral T20I series, behind Jason Holder’s 15 wickets against England in 2022. His ability to consistently deliver under pressure solidified his status as one of India’s premier T20 bowlers.

In a breathtaking display of power-hitting and precision, Abhishek Sharma etched his name into the record books with a scintillating 135 off just 57 balls in the fifth T20I against England at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on February 2, 2025. His innings not only propelled India to a mammoth total of 247 for 9, their second-highest score in men’s T20Is, but also set the stage for a crushing 150-run victory, marking one of the most dominant performances in the format’s history.

Key Highlights of Abhishek Sharma’s Innings:

1. Highest Individual Score for India in Men’s T20Is:

• Abhishek’s 135 surpassed Shubman Gill’s 126* against New Zealand in 2023, making it the highest individual score by an Indian batter in men’s T20Is.
• It is also the second-highest score ever against England in T20Is, trailing only Aaron Finch’s 156 in 2013.

1. Second-Fastest Century for India:

• Abhishek reached his century in just 37 balls, the second-fastest for India behind Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball ton against Sri Lanka in 2017.
• Globally, this ranks as the eighth-fastest century in men’s T20Is.

1. Explosive Powerplay Performance:

• Abhishek scored 58 runs in the powerplay, the most by any Indian batter in the first six overs of a T20I.
• He brought up his fifty in just 17 balls, the second-fastest for India, behind Yuvraj Singh’s iconic 12-ball fifty against England in 2007.

1. Record-Breaking Six-Hitting Spree:

• Abhishek smashed 13 sixes, the most by an Indian batter in a single T20I innings, surpassing Rohit Sharma (10 vs Sri Lanka in 2017) and equalling efforts by Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma against South Africa in 2024.

1. Early Milestone Achievements:

• Abhishek reached his century in the 10.1st over, the second-earliest in terms of overs faced in men’s T20Is (where ball-by-ball data is available). The record is held by Sahil Chauhan, who reached his ton in 8.6 overs for Estonia against Cyprus in 2024.

1. Partnership Firepower:

• Abhishek shared a blistering 115-run partnership with Tilak Varma off just 7.1 overs, at a staggering run rate of 16.04—the highest for any 100-plus stand in India’s T20I history.

Team India’s Dominance:

1. Historic Total and Run Rate:

• India’s total of 247 for 9 is the second-highest against England in men’s T20Is, just one run shy of Australia’s 248 for 6 against England in 2013.
• Their 95 runs in the powerplay was the highest in that phase for India, surpassing their previous best of 82 runs against Scotland in 2021.

1. Bowling Brilliance:

• Varun Chakravarthy was instrumental in dismantling England’s batting lineup, finishing with figures of 4 for 18. His tally of 14 wickets across the five-match series is the most by an Indian bowler in a bilateral T20I series, surpassing his own record of 12 wickets against South Africa in 2023.
• England were bowled out for just 97 runs in 10.3 overs, their shortest all-out innings in men’s T20Is. This is also the second-shortest all-out innings by a Full Member nation, behind Bangladesh’s 9.3 overs against New Zealand in 2021.

1. Biggest Margin of Victory:

• India’s 150-run win is their second-largest margin of victory by runs in men’s T20Is, behind their 168-run triumph against New Zealand in 2023.
• For England, this defeat marked their biggest loss by runs in T20Is, surpassing their previous worst of 90 runs against India in 2012.

Statistical Milestones:

1. India’s Fastest Team Hundred:

• India raced to their team hundred in just 6.3 overs, the quickest in their T20I history, bettering the previous record of 7.1 overs against Bangladesh in 2023.

1. England’s Batting Collapse:

• Eight England batters were dismissed for single-digit scores, the most in a single T20I innings for them.
• Their total of 97 is the third-lowest all-out score in men’s T20Is where an individual batter scored a fifty.

1. Global Context:

• India now has eight wins by a margin of 100-plus runs in men’s T20Is, tied with Japan for the most such victories by any team.

Player Spotlight: Varun Chakravarthy

While Abhishek stole the limelight with his explosive batting, Varun Chakravarthy delivered a masterclass in spin bowling. His 14 wickets in the series are the joint-second most by any bowler in a bilateral T20I series, behind Jason Holder’s 15 wickets against England in 2022. His ability to consistently deliver under pressure solidified his status as one of India’s premier T20 bowlers.