India opener Abhishek Sharma made history on Thursday by smashing the fastest century in Indian T20I cricket. The southpaw reached his hundred in just 30 balls during the third T20I against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, breaking Rohit Sharma’s previous record of a 35-ball century against Sri Lanka in Indore in 2017.
Abhishek Sharma Takes Time Before Exploding
Abhishek began his innings carefully against Fazalhaq Farooqi, waiting until the first over’s end to open his account with a four through extra cover. However, he soon found his rhythm and shifted gears.
He took on Azmatullah Omarzai in the second over, pulling a delivery over deep square leg for a six before stepping down the track to hit another maximum over sweeper cover.
Farooqi struggled to contain the Indian opener, who repeatedly punished short deliveries. Abhishek used his wrists well, helping one ball over fine leg before smashing another straight down the ground.
Fastest T20I tons by Indian cricketers
| Player | Balls | Match | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abhishek Sharma | 30 | India vs Afghanistan | New Delhi | 17/09/2026 |
| Rohit Sharma | 35 | India v Sri Lanka | Indore | 22/12/2017 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 37 | India v England | Wankhede | 02/02/2025 |
| Sanju Samson | 40 | India v Bangladesh | Hyderabad | 12/10/2024 |
| Tilak Varma | 41 | India v South Africa | Johannesburg | 15/11/2024 |
| Ishan Kishan | 42 | India v New Zealand | Thiruvananthapuram | 31/01/2026 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 45 | India v Sri Lanka | Rajkot | 07/01/2023 |
| KL Rahul | 46 | India v West Indies | Lauderhill | 27/08/2016 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 46 | India v Zimbabwe | Harare | 07/07/2024 |
| Sanju Samson | 47 | India v South Africa | Durban | 08/11/2024 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 48 | India v England | Nottingham | 10/07/2022 |
14-Ball Fifty Sets Up Record-Breaking Ton
The biggest damage came against Mohammad Nabi in the fifth over. Abhishek hit the off-spinner for three sixes and a four, bringing up his fifty in just 14 balls.
He continued his attack against Mujeeb Ur Rahman, hitting two sixes in the seventh over, including one straight down the ground. Rashid Khan also found himself under pressure as Abhishek charged down the pitch and lofted the ball over wide long-on.
The Indian opener completed his century in 30 deliveries, moving past Rohit Sharma’s previous record and producing one of the fastest hundreds in international T20 cricket.
Fastest T20I hundreds (FM teams)
30 - Abhishek Sharma (India) vs Afghanistan, Delhi, 2026
33 - Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) vs Gambia, Nairobi (Ruaraka), 2024
33 - Finn Allen (South Africa) vs New Zealand, Kolkata, 2026
35 - David Miller (South Africa) vs Bangladesh, Potchefstroom, 2017
35 - Rohit Sharma (India) vs Sri Lanka, Indore, 2017
Rashid Khan Ends Abhishek’s Explosive Knock
Abhishek’s innings came to an end on 108 runs when Rashid Khan induced an edge behind the stumps. Rahmanullah Gurbaz completed the catch, with a review confirming the contact.