Mumbai: The Wankhede Stadium has seen several spectacular T20 knocks over the years, especially in IPL. But few, if any, would have been better than Abhishek Sharma’s innings for Team India in the fifth and final T20 International here on Sunday evening.
The left-handed opener broke records galore in compiling 135 (best by an Indian) off 54 balls, which contained 7 fours and 13 sixes (India record). Thanks mainly to his effort, India posted a massive 247/9 in 20 overs.
Known for his explosive batting in the shortest format of the game, was in the groove from the word go. The faster Jofra Archer and Mark Wood bowled, the farther the ball disappeared into the packed galleries.
Commentators like Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Kevin Petersen were lost for adjectives as Abhishek produced some scintillating strokes – all round the wicket.
Records went tumbling as Abhishek hit fours and sixes at will. It was literally a one-man show, with India racing to their highest ever power-play score – 95/1.
Sanju Samson hit two sixes and departed, Tilak Verma got 24 off 15, Suryakumar Yadav fell for a single-digit score again. But the fall of wickets didn’t matter because Abhishek was not going to spare any English bowler on this night.
Abhishek brought up his century in 37 balls, second fastest T20I hundred by an Indian after Rohit Sharma (35 balls).
