Abhishek Sharma produced a breathtaking batting display in Delhi on Thursday, smashing a 30-ball century as India defeated Afghanistan by 127 runs in the third T20I. The commanding win helped India complete a 3-0 series sweep and gave Abhishek a night to remember in the India cricket record books.
The left-handed opener scored 108 runs from only 34 deliveries, hitting nine fours and 11 sixes. He reached his century in 30 balls, setting a new mark for the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian batter. The innings also made him the fastest century-maker among batters from Full Member nations in men’s T20I cricket.
Abhishek came into the match already in strong form. He had scored 82 and 39 in the first two matches of the series, and his explosive approach continued from the opening over in Delhi.
India won the toss and were asked to bat first. Abhishek immediately put Afghanistan’s bowlers under pressure, attacking anything in his hitting zone and finding the boundary with remarkable regularity.
He reached his half-century in just 16 balls. Instead of slowing down after reaching fifty, Abhishek increased the pace and took the attack apart. His century arrived in the ninth over, completing one of the most destructive innings seen in recent T20I cricket.
Abhishek breaks Rohit Sharma’s record
The 30-ball century moved Abhishek past Rohit Sharma’s previous Indian record of a 35-ball T20I hundred. Rohit had achieved that feat against Sri Lanka in 2017.
Abhishek’s hundred also moved him ahead of the 33-ball centuries recorded by Sikandar Raza and Finn Allen in men’s T20I cricket involving Full Member teams.
His latest century was the third of his T20I career. His previous hundred came against England in Mumbai in February 2025, when he reached three figures from 37 balls.
The Delhi innings was particularly remarkable because Abhishek scored 96 of his first 100 runs through boundaries. His six-hitting was a major feature of the innings, with 11 sixes clearing the ropes during his brief stay at the crease.
Afghanistan eventually managed to dismiss him when Rashid Khan ended the innings at 108. By then, India had already gained complete control of the match.
Samson provides crucial support
Abhishek was not alone in dominating the Afghanistan attack. Sanju Samson played an important supporting role and added a fluent half-century.
The pair put together 142 runs from just 59 balls, giving India an explosive start and allowing the middle order to attack without the pressure of rebuilding the innings.
Samson scored 50 from 35 deliveries. The opening partnership pushed India rapidly beyond the 100-run mark during the powerplay and created the foundation for a huge total.
India eventually finished their 20 overs at 221 for seven. Abhishek’s century and Samson’s half-century accounted for much of the damage, while Afghanistan’s bowlers struggled to contain the scoring rate.
The total gave India a significant advantage even before Afghanistan began its chase.
Afghanistan struggle in the chase
Afghanistan’s response never gathered momentum. The visitors lost wickets regularly and were unable to establish a partnership capable of challenging India’s total.
Four wickets fell for 47 runs, leaving Afghanistan with a difficult task early in the innings. Ibrahim Zadran provided some resistance with 25 runs from 16 balls, but the rest of the batting line-up struggled against India’s attack.
No other Afghanistan batter managed to score more than 20.
India kept the pressure on with regular breakthroughs and eventually dismissed Afghanistan for 94 in 14.1 overs. The 127-run margin was Afghanistan’s heaviest defeat by runs in T20I cricket.
Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravi Bishnoi were India’s leading bowlers, taking three wickets each. Their efforts ensured that Afghanistan never came close to the required run rate.
India complete 3-0 series sweep
The victory completed India’s 3-0 series win over Afghanistan. India had already won the first two matches, but the third game produced the most emphatic result of the series.
The final match also highlighted the growing role of aggressive opening batting in India’s T20I approach. Abhishek’s willingness to attack from the first ball gave India an early advantage and allowed the team to maintain a high scoring rate throughout the innings.
His performance was also a continuation of his strong series. After scoring 82 in the opening match and 39 in the second, he delivered his biggest innings when India needed to close out the series.
For Afghanistan, the match exposed the difficulty of defending against India’s aggressive top order while also chasing a demanding total.
A record night in Delhi
Abhishek‘s 108 will stand out as the defining performance of the match. The combination of 11 sixes, nine fours and a century from 30 balls made it one of the fastest and most explosive T20I innings by an Indian batter.
The performance also strengthened his reputation as one of India’s most aggressive young batters in the shortest format.
India’s 221 for seven was ultimately far beyond Afghanistan’s reach. Once the visitors slipped to 47 for four, the contest became increasingly one-sided.
Afghanistan’s eventual total of 94 completed a comprehensive Indian victory and ensured the hosts finished the series unbeaten.
The 3-0 sweep gives India another successful T20I series, while Abhishek leaves the contest with a new record attached to his name. His 30-ball century in Delhi has now become a major landmark in India’s T20I history and one of the defining innings of the series.
