Abhishek Sharma rewrote the T20I record books at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, becoming the fastest batter from a Full Member nation to hit 100 sixes in T20I cricket — in just 785 balls. The 25-year-old left-hander surpassed West Indies opener Evin Lewis, who had previously held the record, managing the feat in 789 balls. The milestone came during a blazing 59 off 24 balls in the 1st T20I against England as India posted 189 for 7, though the match was ultimately abandoned without a result due to rain.
The Historic Knock
Upon winning the toss and opting to bat first, India racked up 189 for 7 courtesy of a glitzy 59 off 24 balls from Abhishek Sharma, accompanied by a top score of 68 from visiting skipper Shreyas Iyer.
Also Read Shreyas Iyer Takes Charge as India Enter New T20I Era; Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Earns Historic Call-Up
Abhishek scored 59 off just 24 balls, hitting four sixes and six fours, striking at close to 250 (245.83). He completed his half-century in just 20 balls raising his bat to the roars of the Durham crowd on a Wednesday evening.
The innings was built on calculated aggression from the very start. The 25-year-old smashed England pacers for a hat-trick of fours as India piled up an impressive 61 for two in the powerplay.
Sam Curran dismissed the left-hander LBW with a well-directed leg cutter, ending what was one of the most entertaining powerplay knocks of the England tour.
The Record: Fewest Balls to 100 T20I Sixes (Full Member Nations)
Abhishek took 785 balls to reach this milestone, four balls fewer than West Indian opener Evin Lewis, who took 789 balls to complete 100 T20I sixes.
Double Record Night: Fastest to 1,500 T20I Runs by Balls Faced
The century of sixes was not the only record Abhishek broke in Durham. He became the fastest batter in T20I history to complete 1,500 runs in terms of balls faced, overtaking India's Suryakumar Yadav.
While the record for the fastest 1,500 T20I runs by innings remains jointly held by Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Aaron Finch and KL Rahul, who all achieved the feat in 39 innings, Abhishek has now become the quickest ever by balls faced.
Also Read Women’s T20 World Cup 2026: 12 Teams, 33 Matches, India Fixtures And Everything You Need To Know
Fifth Indian to the 100-Six Club
Abhishek also became only the fifth Indian batter to complete 100 sixes in T20I internationals, joining an elite list featuring Rohit Sharma (205), Suryakumar Yadav (179), Hardik Pandya (126) and Virat Kohli (124).
Match Context: Samson, Kishan Depart Early; Iyer and Dube Rescue India
Mahmood's first international wicket in over a year, bowling in the second over, heaped yet more misery on Sanju Samson, whose last three scores for India now read 5, 0, 1. ESPNcricinfo
At the end of the same over, Ishan Kishan was run out — for the second innings in succession — and India were reeling at 6 for 2.
What followed was a masterclass in partnership cricket. Captain Shreyas Iyer and Abhishek steadied India's innings, with Abhishek taking the attacking route. He clobbered Mahmood for a boundary and two sixes in his second over before smashing Luke Wood and others to complete another fifty against his favourite T20I opponents.
Shreyas had been in Abhishek's slipstream for a 38-ball stand of 82, and was able to cash in a fifty of his own off 38 balls. The Mumbai man was more keen to pick up gaps and stay deep into the innings, leaving the big hits to others. He reached his fifty in 38 balls — his ninth T20I fifty and first as India's T20I captain.
Also Read IPL 2026 Highlights: RCB Win Title, Orange Cap, Purple Cap, Records, Top Moments & Full Updates
Shivam Dube's 42 at a strike rate of 200 added some much-needed impetus at the back end.
Match Abandoned: Rain Has the Final Say
The opening T20I of the three-match series between England and India was abandoned without a result after persistent rain prevented any further play at Chester-le-Street, Durham, on July 1.
England's chase of 190 remained a non-starter after the heavens opened up during the innings break. The game was called off with nearly 40 minutes left for the start of a five-over game.
The second contest of the five-match series will be played at Manchester on July 4.
What X (Twitter) Said
The BCCI was first off the mark, celebrating the milestone officially:
Cricket fans and analysts across X erupted in celebration, with #AbhishekSharma and #ENGvIND trending through the evening.
