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Abhishek Hits Fastest Century in Full-Member T20s
Confirmed
In Short: Opener Abhishek hit 108 from 34 balls, breaking the record for the fastest century by a full-member nation.
Opener Abhishek hit 108 from 34 balls, breaking the record for the fastest century by a full-member nation in T20 cricket. His innings included nine fours and 11 sixes, leading India to a 221-7 total.
This was Abhishek's third T20 international century and the 10th of his career. Despite this being his fastest century, it was not his quickest in the format, as he previously scored a 30-ball century against Afghanistan.
Abhishek's performance was part of a dominant series win for India, who took the first two matches against Afghanistan. Sanju Samson also starred, scoring a record 20-ball half-century with seven boundaries and four sixes.
Samson's half-century helped India chase down a target of 160 in just 14.5 overs. The opening pair of Abhishek and Samson amassed 88 off 38 balls, setting the tone for the comfortable victory.
Abhishek's form has been a rollercoaster. A year ago, he was at the summit of the game, winning the Player of the Tournament award at the 2025 Asia Cup and leading the run-scoring charts in the IPL. However, his international career seemed on borrowed time until this series.
What's confirmed
- Opener Abhishek hit 108 from 34 balls, breaking the record for the fastest century by a full-member nation in T20 cricket. His innings included nine fours and 11 sixes, leading India to a 221-7 total.
- This was Abhishek's third T20 international century and the 10th of his career. Despite this being his fastest century, it was not his quickest in the format, as he previously scored a 30-ball century against Afghanistan.
- Abhishek's performance was part of a dominant series win for India, who took the first two matches against Afghanistan. Sanju Samson also starred, scoring a record 20-ball half-century with seven boundaries and four sixes.
- Samson's half-century helped India chase down a target of 160 in just 14.5 overs. The opening pair of Abhishek and Samson amassed 88 off 38 balls, setting the tone for the comfortable victory.
- Abhishek's form has been a rollercoaster. A year ago, he was at the summit of the game, winning the Player of the Tournament award at the 2025 Asia Cup and leading the run-scoring charts in the IPL. However, his international career seemed on borrowed time until this series.
What's still developing
- Opener Abhishek, who was knocked off the top of the T20 batting rankings in July, continued to make 108 from 34 balls, hitting nine fours and 11 sixes in India's 221-7.
- And while it beat the previous fastest century for a full-member nation - a 33-ball effort by New Zealand's Finn Allen against South Africa at this year's T20 World Cup - it was not even Abhishek's quickest in the format.
- ALSO READ | Abhishek Sharma shows Afghans no mercy in 30-ball ton He was only getting started.
- A 484-run IPL 2025 season had convinced everyone he would walk into international cricket without breaking stride, and for a while he did exactly that, a century in only his second match for India, then 1,115 runs across the rest of the year, 268 clear of the next best Indian batter on the list.
- As the scoring rate escalated, Samson joined the onslaught with a boundary off Azmatullah Omarzai, while Abhishek launched another maximum off Nabi in the fourth over to keep the momentum surging.
- Abhishek set the tone by taking Mujeeb Ur Rahman (3/37) for consecutive boundaries in the opening over before pulling Mohammad Nabi for a six in the second.
- Although Rashid Khan (3/36) broke the opening stand in the seventh over by having Abhishek caught near the ropes, the initial damage was already done.
- Playing in front of 24,215 fans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Samson brought up his career-fastest T20I fifty with a boundary before pulling Rashid for another six.