MUMBAI, India (AP) — Abhishek Sharma put on a jaw-dropping display of power-hitting as he smashed England for an astonishing 13 sixes and a blistering 37-ball century before contributing with the ball by taking two wickets in his solitary over, guiding India to a resounding 150-run victory in the fifth Twenty20 match on Sunday.
Sharma’s record-breaking individual men’s T20 score for India of 135 runs off just 54 deliveries was the highlight of the match as the hosts posted a massive total of 247-9 in their allotted 20 overs after being put in to bat at the Wankhede Stadium. This remarkable innings surpassed the previous record held by Shubman Gill, who scored an unbeaten 126 against New Zealand in 2023.
In response, England crumbled under the pressure and were bowled out for a mere 97 runs in just 10.3 overs, handing India a convincing 4-1 series victory.
Sharma illuminated the Mumbai skyline with a barrage of sixes and elegant strokes, eventually finishing with a total of 13 sixes and seven fours, setting a new record for the most sixes by an Indian batter in a T20 match, surpassing the previous record of 10 shared by Rohit Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Tilak Varma.
Not only did Sharma shine with the bat, but he also made an impact with the ball, picking up two crucial wickets for just three runs in his solitary over. His all-round performance was nothing short of spectacular.
Sharma’s onslaught began early, racing to a half-century off a mere 17 balls, which stands as the second-fastest fifty by an Indian batsman in T20 cricket. He formed a destructive partnership of 115 runs off just 43 balls for the second wicket with Varma, propelling India past the 100-run mark in the seventh over.
Despite a brief collapse in the middle overs, Sharma’s heroics ensured that India finished with their fourth-highest total in T20 cricket. His century off only 37 balls was the second-fastest for India in men’s T20s, trailing only Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in 2017.
In England’s chase, they never got going as they lost wickets at regular intervals. The spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Shivam Dube picked up key wickets to dismantle England’s batting lineup.
England’s innings crumbled under pressure, with key batsmen failing to make an impact. Despite a valiant effort by Phil Salt, who scored a quickfire 55 off 23 balls, England fell short as they were bowled out for their fourth-lowest total in T20s.
Sharma’s brilliance continued as he scalped two wickets in
