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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.