Abhishek Sharma rips apart Shami’s Bengal with 32-ball 100; joins Yuvraj Singh on elite list

Abhishek Sharma also jointly hold the record of smashing the fastest T20 hundred (28 balls) as an Indian.

There may be nothing that Abhishek Sharma can’t do in T20 cricket! After some low-scoring outings, the new India sensation delivered a magnificent display of batting and hammered a 32-ball century. While captaining Punjab in the Round 3 game against Bengal, the SRH opener tormented the bowling attack in Hyderabad.

His fifty came in just 12 balls, equalling Yuvraj Singh’s tally when the former World Cup winner smashed 6 sixes in an over and made his half-century against England in an equal number of balls as well. Abhishek’s innings lasted a total of 52 balls, in which he mustered 148 runs.

Abhishek Sharma scripts history…again

Once again showing that he is the most talented and threatening T20 player in the country, Abhishek put forward an exhilarating innings. In a high-profile Punjab vs Bengal fixture, the southpaw came out all guns blazing. Opening the innings alongside Prabhsimran Singh (70 off 35), Abhishek put up a sensational partnership of 205 runs. Guess how many balls it took? Only 75. That is a scoring rate of over 16 runs per over.

After hammering down 11 sixes in just 32 balls, Abhishek reached his 8th T20 three-figure mark. Only Virat Kohli (9) has now more T20 centuries than Abhishek. The gap between Abhishek and Kohli’s careers is of just 240 innings only too! This is the third-fastest T20 century by an Indian after Gujarat’s Urvil Patel smashed a 31-ball ton only a few days ago.

Last few days have been incredible for India’s T20 stars as Vaibhav Suryavanshi also hammered a 32-ball century during the Asia Cup Rising Stars. It is pertinent to note that Abhishek and Urvil jointly hold the record for the fastest T20 centuries (as Indians). The two took 28 balls each while scoring a ton last year at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). Fascinatingly, the duo has once again repeated their heroics, taking just a few more balls this time.

Indians with fastest T20 centuries

On a foggy Sunday morning, Abhishek just tore apart Bengal’s bowling lineup that featured proven players like Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep and Shahbaz Ahmed. Even an in-form Shami couldn’t restrict Abhishek, who hammered 27 runs (2 sixes, 3 fours) in the six balls he faced of Shami’s. Akash Deep was hit for 15 off 6 before getting out to him. Meanwhile Writtick Chatterjee bore the biggest brunt. The off-spinner was blunted for 64 runs off 18 deliveries. That is basically a strike rate of over 350 against the bowler.