Abhishek Sharma Smashes Fastest Full-Member T20I Century as India Sweep Afghanistan 3-0

THE RECORD

Abhishek Sharma reached his century off just 30 balls at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Thursday, the fastest T20I hundred ever recorded by a batter from a Full Member nation. He beat the previous mark, jointly held by Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza against Gambia in 2024 and New Zealand's Finn Allen against South Africa at the 2026 T20 World Cup, by three balls. It also erased India's own record, Rohit Sharma's 35-ball century against Sri Lanka in 2017, by five.

Abhishek brought up his fifty off just 16 balls, then needed only 14 more deliveries to move from fifty to a hundred. He finished with 108 off 34 balls, striking 9 fours and 11 sixes before India's review overturned an initial not-out call and sent him back to the pavilion in the tenth over, to a standing ovation from the Delhi crowd. It was his third T20I century.

THE MATCH

Afghanistan won the toss and chose to field, a decision that backfired quickly. India piled up 221 for 7 in their 20 overs, with Sanju Samson adding a brisk 50 off 35 balls in support of Abhishek's onslaught. Afghanistan's reply never got going. Nitish Kumar Reddy took 3 for 25 with the ball, including back-to-back yorkers that flattened the stumps, and legspinner Ravi Bishnoi picked up 3 for 26 as Afghanistan collapsed to 94 all out in just 14.1 overs. India won by 127 runs, the margin alone underlining how one-sided the contest became after Abhishek's opening burst.

Rashid Khan produced two of the game's most memorable moments with the ball out of reach of his own bowling figures, diving full length at long-off to catch Samson and then sprinting several yards at long-on before sliding to pull in a reverse-cupped catch to remove Shivam Dube. Both were among the few bright spots for Afghanistan on a night that otherwise belonged entirely to India.

A CLEAN SWEEP

The win completed a 3-0 whitewash of Afghanistan in the three-match T20I series, India's third series sweep of the year and a statement result heading into a busy home season. India head coach Gautam Gambhir was seen smiling from the dugout as Abhishek closed in on three figures, a rare public reaction from a coach generally known for a more measured touchline presence.

For Afghanistan, debutant Noor ul Rahman top-scored in the chase with 11 off 15 balls in a batting effort that never had an answer for India's total. Rashid Khan, who has said he wants a promotion up the order, again batted at No. 7 and was bowled by Bishnoi for 6, a reminder that the request has not yet been granted by the team management.

WHAT'S NEXT

Afghanistan's tour of India ends with the T20I series, and Abhishek Sharma's innings now sits at the top of a record list that includes some of the format's biggest hitters. With India already dominant in T20Is this year, the result adds another data point to a batting lineup that looks increasingly difficult for opponents to bowl at, let alone contain, once Abhishek gets going at the top of the order.