Abhishek Sharma once again demonstrated his power-hitting ability and produced a high-impact 69 off just 30 deliveries in the third T20I against West Indies at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday. His knock, laced with six fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 230, powered India to a competitive total of 223 all out in 20 overs despite a late collapse.
During his attacking knock, Abhishek broke several T20I records. Here is a breakdown of the major records and milestones rewritten during Abhishek’s assault in Indore: 1. Fastest Batter in World Cricket to 2,000 T20I Runs (Balls Faced) Abhishek entered the match needing to breach the 2,000-run landmark in international T20 cricket, and he did so in historic fashion. The Record: Reached 2,000 T20I runs in just 1,024 deliveries. Whose Record He Broke: He eclipsed teammate and previous world record holder Suryakumar Yadav, who had reached the 2,000-run mark in 1,164 balls. 2. Sixth Indian Batter Into 2,000-Run Club
He recorded his 7th instance of crossing fifty within the first six overs of a T20I innings. He holds the absolute world record in this category by a wide margin – no other batter in Men’s T20I history has registered more than two fifty-plus scores inside the powerplay. Joint-Most T20I Sixes In A Calendar Year By sending six balls into the Holkar Stadium stands, Abhishek tied the world record for the most sixes hit in T20Is in a single calendar year. Arshdeep, who took out in-form Shai Hope, along with others ensured that the West Indies big-hitters couldn’t ace a second chase on the trot.
With this innings, Abhishek became only the sixth Indian male cricketer to cross 2,000 runs in T20 Internationals. He joins an elite list: Rohit Sharma (4,231 runs) Virat Kohli (4,188 runs) Suryakumar Yadav (3,272 runs) Hardik Pandya (2,288 runs) KL Rahul (2,265 runs) Abhishek Sharma (2,036 runs) 3. Most 50-plus Scores In Powerplay (First 6 Overs) Abhishek notched up his half-century in just 18 deliveries, continuing his high-risk, high-reward approach at the top of the order. 4. He leveled Suryakumar Yadav’s tally of 68 sixes in a calendar year. Abhishek matched Surya’s mark with a significantly more aggressive frequency, averaging a six roughly every 6.55 balls, compared to Surya’s 9.13 balls-per-six ratio during his peak run. Most sixes in a calendar year in T20Is (FM teams) 68 – Abhishek Sharma in 2026 (Balls/six: 6.55) 68 – Suryakumar Yadav in 2022 (Balls/six: 9.13) 54 – Abhishek Sharma in 2025 (Balls/six: 8.22) 52 – Ishan Kishan in 2026 (Balls/six: 12.69) 45 – Sahibzada Farhan in 2025 (Balls/six: 12.82) Abhishek Sharma top-scored with 69 off 30 balls before India’s bowlers defended 223 on a dew-free night to beat West Indies by 14 runs in the T20I on Sunday, and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Arshdeep Singh returned with figures of 3-44, while Naman Dhir took two scalps. Shamar Springer’s 11-ball 35 not out gave the visitors a late push, but it went in vain, as the West Indies finished on 209/7.
The win is also the first victory for a team batting first in the white-ball series so far. It came despite India’s second-half slide, with soft dismissals, which had made 223 look below par at one stage after Abhishek Sharma’s 30-ball 69 had laid the foundation for a big total.
