Abhishek Sharma put on a spectacular show against England, belting out 13 sixes and notching a 37-ball century, leading India to a staggering 150-run victory in the fifth Twenty20 match.
This crushing defeat for England followed just 48 hours after the women’s team faced a humiliating Ashes whitewash in Australia.
Sharma’s record-breaking innings saw him score 135 runs from just 54 deliveries, establishing the highest individual men’s T20 score for India as the hosts compiled 9-247 in 20 overs after losing the toss at Wankhede.
He surpassed the previous Indian record of 126 not out, set by Shubman Gill against New Zealand earlier in 2023.
In response, England crumbled, all out for a mere 97 in 10.3 overs, allowing India to secure the five-match series 4-1.
Jos Buttler of England walks off the field. Getty
Despite a commitment to a pace-heavy bowling strategy, England’s captain Jos Buttler defended their approach.
“We’ve had some successes, and there are areas we wish to improve, but we must stay true to our playing style — we just need to execute it better,” Buttler stated.
“India are a brilliant side, particularly on home turf, and our players will gain valuable experience from this.”
Sharma illuminated the Mumbai skyline with a barrage of sixes and seven fours, as England capitulated well before their allocated overs were up. His tally of 13 sixes also set a new record for the most sixes hit by an Indian batsman in a T20 innings, surpassing the previous best of 10 shared by Rohit Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Tilak Varma.
Varun Chakravarthy was also impactful for India, securing figures of 2-25, while Shivam Dube contributed with 2-11. Sharma’s bowling stint resulted in 2-3 from a single over.
Sharma reached the 50-run mark off just 17 balls – the second-fastest by an Indian in T20 history – as India reached 95-1 during the powerplay.
The explosive left-handed opener formed a significant 115-run partnership with Varma, coming off just 43 balls. India raced past the 100-run mark in just the seventh over, propelled by Sharma’s explosive innings, but then slightly faltered as they moved past the halfway point.
Abhishek Sharma of India celebrates his century. AP
India faced a brief moment of vulnerability, losing five wickets in 41 balls, yet this did not deter Sharma, who was in formidable form.
He reached his second T20 century in just 37 balls, marking the second-fastest for India in men’s T20 cricket, only trailing Rohit Sharma’s record of 35 balls against Sri Lanka in 2017.
Sharma concluded his innings boasting a strike rate of 250.
A three-match ODI series is slated to commence on Thursday in Nagpur, leading up to the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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