Chester-le-Street, July 2: India opener Abhishek Sharma added another milestone to his rapidly growing career by becoming the fastest batter to hit 100 sixes in T20 Internationals during the first T20I against England at the Riverside Ground on Wednesday.
The left-handed opener reached the landmark in just 785 deliveries, surpassing the previous record held by West Indies’ Evin Lewis, who had needed 789 balls to achieve the feat.
Abhishek achieved the milestone in his trademark aggressive style, clearing the ropes twice during his explosive innings after India had been reduced to 6/2 following the early dismissals of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan.The 24-year-old launched a stunning counterattack against England’s bowling attack, shifting the momentum in India’s favour with a flurry of boundaries and sixes.
In the process, Abhishek also became only the fifth Indian batter to complete 100 sixes in T20Is, joining an elite list comprising Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli.
His entertaining innings eventually came to an end when Sam Curran trapped him leg before wicket, with ball-tracking confirming the delivery would have struck the leg stump.Before his dismissal, however, Abhishek had hammered 59 off just 24 deliveries, providing India with the perfect platform after a disastrous start and adding yet another record to his growing list of achievements. (Agencies)
