Abhishek Sharma Hits Fastest T20I Century: 30-Ball Hundred Breaks Rohit Sharma’s Record

Published: 17 Sep 2026, 9:25 pm IST

Abhishek Sharma has rewritten India’s fastest T20I century record with one of the most aggressive innings of his international career. During the third T20I against Afghanistan in Delhi on September 17, 2026, the left-handed opener reached his century in just 30 balls, breaking Rohit Sharma’s long-standing Indian record of a 35-ball hundred. The innings was not simply about reaching three figures quickly. Abhishek attacked from the beginning, reached his fifty in 16 balls and then needed only another 14 deliveries to move from 50 to 100.

The knock also produced a new powerplay benchmark, while India’s opening combination with Sanju Samson helped the team reach 100 without losing a wicket inside the first six overs. Abhishek eventually finished with 108 off 34 balls, according to match reports, before Rashid Khan dismissed him.

Here is a detailed, question-based breakdown of what Abhishek Sharma’s record actually means, how quickly he scored his runs and where this century stands in T20I history.

Why is Abhishek Sharma trending today?

Abhishek Sharma is trending because he scored a 30-ball century against Afghanistan in the third T20I in Delhi, becoming the fastest Indian batter to score a hundred in men’s T20I cricket.

The record had previously belonged to Rohit Sharma, who scored a T20I century from 35 balls against Sri Lanka in 2017. Abhishek cut five balls from that mark, reaching his hundred in just 30 deliveries.

The timing of the innings made it even more notable. India were already using an aggressive opening approach in the Afghanistan series, with Abhishek having scored 82 from 32 balls in the first T20I. The ICC had reported before the third match that he wanted to continue playing an attacking style despite earlier low scores.

In the third game, that approach reached another level.

Abhishek did not spend a long period settling himself at the crease. He attacked the Afghanistan bowlers during the powerplay, reached fifty in only 16 balls and continued at almost the same tempo after reaching the first milestone.

That is why searches such as “Abhishek Sharma today,” “Abhishek Sharma 100,” “Abhishek Sharma fastest century” and “Abhishek Sharma century today” are seeing strong interest.

How many balls did Abhishek Sharma take to score his century?

Abhishek Sharma scored his T20I century in 30 balls.

That is the key number from his record-breaking innings against Afghanistan.

He reached his fifty in 16 balls and then required only another 14 deliveries to move from 50 to 100. In other words, he scored his second fifty even faster than his first.

This is important because a T20I century normally requires a batter to maintain an extraordinary scoring rate for a substantial period. Abhishek’s innings combined boundary hitting with aggressive running between the wickets and constant pressure on the bowling attack.

His final score was 108 from 34 balls, meaning that after reaching his century, he added eight more runs before being dismissed. Reports state that Rashid Khan eventually ended his innings.

Abhishek Sharma’s century progression

Milestone	Balls
50 runs	16 balls
100 runs	30 balls
Final score	108 off 34 balls

The 14-ball journey from 50 to 100 is arguably the most eye-catching part of the innings because it shows how quickly Abhishek accelerated after getting set.

Did Abhishek Sharma break Rohit Sharma’s fastest T20I century record?

Yes. Abhishek Sharma broke Rohit Sharma’s record for the fastest T20I century by an Indian batter.

Rohit Sharma had scored his hundred from 35 balls against Sri Lanka in Indore in 2017. That mark remained India’s benchmark for almost nine years before Abhishek broke it against Afghanistan.

Abhishek’s 30-ball century is therefore five deliveries faster than Rohit’s previous Indian record.

The comparison is particularly interesting because both innings represent an extremely aggressive form of T20 batting. Rohit’s 2017 innings became famous for its extraordinary hitting, while Abhishek’s latest knock shows how the modern T20 opening role has developed further toward immediate acceleration.

Record comparison

Batter	Balls for century	Opposition
Abhishek Sharma	30	Afghanistan
Rohit Sharma	35	Sri Lanka
Abhishek Sharma	37	England

The 37-ball mark is also significant because it was Abhishek’s own previous fastest T20I century, which came against England in 2025.

What was Rohit Sharma’s previous record?

Rohit Sharma’s previous record was a 35-ball T20I century against Sri Lanka in 2017.

For years, that innings represented the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian batter. Abhishek Sharma has now moved that benchmark down to 30 balls.

Rohit’s record was not just an Indian milestone. It was also part of the wider list of fastest hundreds in men’s T20I cricket.

Abhishek’s achievement therefore needs to be described carefully. Saying that he scored the fastest T20I century ever without qualification would be misleading.

Current reports place Abhishek’s 30-ball century among the fastest T20I hundreds globally, but some faster hundreds have been recorded by players from other nations. The Indian Express, for example, reported that Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan had a 27-ball century and Turkey’s Muhammad Fahad a 29-ball century.

So the strongest SEO-friendly and factually precise wording is: Abhishek Sharma scored India’s fastest T20I century in 30 balls.

That is more accurate than simply calling it the fastest T20I century in history.

How many balls did Abhishek Sharma need to reach 50?

Abhishek Sharma reached his fifty in just 16 balls.

That gave him an extremely strong platform for the record-breaking hundred.

The interesting part is what happened afterward. Instead of slowing down after reaching his half-century, Abhishek accelerated further. He needed just 14 more balls to go from 50 to 100.

That means his scoring pattern looked like this:

16 balls → 50 runs → 14 balls → 100 runs

It is a useful example of why simply looking at the final 30-ball number does not fully explain the innings.

Many aggressive T20 batters can make a quick fifty. The difficult part is maintaining the same level of risk and execution after reaching the milestone.

Abhishek did exactly that.

How did Abhishek Sharma go from 50 to 100 so quickly?

The simplest answer is continuous attacking intent.

Abhishek did not treat his fifty as a signal to change into an anchoring role. He continued looking for scoring opportunities against both pace and spin.

Cricbuzz’s ball-by-ball commentary shows him attacking Mohammad Nabi during the powerplay, including multiple boundaries in the same over. He reached his fifty in the fifth over.

The bigger tactical point is that Afghanistan could not create a long quiet period against him.

In T20 cricket, bowlers often try to slow a batter down by bowling wider lines, changing pace, using spin or protecting boundary areas. But when a batter continues finding scoring options, the pressure moves back onto the bowling side.

Abhishek’s second fifty came in only 14 deliveries.

That means his scoring rate between 50 and 100 was extraordinary even by T20 standards.

How many sixes and fours did Abhishek Sharma hit?

Abhishek Sharma finished with 108 runs from 34 balls.

Early match reports have differed slightly on the six count, with some reporting 11 sixes and nine fours, while another report lists 10 sixes and nine fours. The nine-four figure and 108 off 34 are consistently reported, but the six-count should be checked against the final official scorecard before publication.

For an SEO article, the safest formulation is: Abhishek Sharma smashed 108 off 34 balls, with nine fours and a double-digit number of sixes, during his record-breaking innings against Afghanistan.

If your CMS article is being published after the official scorecard has settled, update the exact six count from the final scorecard.

What matters from a tactical perspective is the sheer proportion of boundary scoring. Abhishek repeatedly used the long boundary option and forced Afghanistan’s bowlers to defend against an aggressive opener who was already scoring at an exceptional rate.

Is Abhishek Sharma’s 30-ball century the fastest T20I hundred ever?

No, not when “ever” means every T20I batter from every team.

It is the fastest T20I century by an Indian batter and, according to current reports, the fastest T20I hundred by a batter representing an ICC full-member nation.

The distinction matters for SEO because searches for “fastest century” can refer to different record categories.

The current global context reported after Abhishek’s innings includes:

Sahil Chauhan — 27 balls
Muhammad Fahad — 29 balls
Abhishek Sharma — 30 balls

The Indian Express described Abhishek’s effort as the third-fastest T20I century globally, behind those two innings.

Therefore, an accurate headline would be:

Abhishek Sharma Hits India’s Fastest T20I Century in 30 Balls

Where does Abhishek Sharma rank among India’s fastest T20I centurions?

Abhishek Sharma is now No. 1 among Indian batters for fastest T20I century, with his 30-ball hundred against Afghanistan.

His own previous 37-ball century against England now sits behind his new record.

The important comparison is:

Rank	Indian batter	Balls	Opposition
1	Abhishek Sharma	30	Afghanistan, 2026
2	Rohit Sharma	35	Sri Lanka, 2017
3	Abhishek Sharma	37	England, 2025

This also creates an unusual statistical situation: Abhishek Sharma occupies two positions in the list of India’s fastest T20I centuries.

His 2025 century had already placed him among India’s fastest hundred-makers. Now he has improved his own record by seven balls.

The ICC previously recorded his 135 against England in February 2025 as a 37-ball century, which at the time was the second-fastest T20I century by an Indian behind Rohit’s 35-ball effort.

How does this century compare with his 37-ball hundred against England?

This is one of the most interesting comparisons because both centuries came from the same batter but under different circumstances.

Against England in February 2025, Abhishek scored 135 from 54 balls and reached his century from 37 deliveries. The ICC highlighted that innings as a major performance in his international career.

Against Afghanistan in September 2026, he reached the century in just 30 balls and finished with 108 from 34.

Abhishek Sharma’s two record-breaking T20I hundreds

Statistic	England, 2025	Afghanistan, 2026
Century balls	37	30
Final score	135	108
Balls faced	54	34
Approach	Aggressive	Extremely aggressive

The difference is important.

The England innings eventually became a much bigger individual score, while the Afghanistan innings was even more explosive in terms of how quickly Abhishek reached three figures.

So the latest century is not necessarily his biggest T20I innings. It is his fastest T20I century.

That distinction should be retained throughout the article.

What powerplay record did Abhishek Sharma create?

Abhishek Sharma created a new highest individual score during the powerplay in a men’s T20I, according to Times of India.

Cricbuzz’s live commentary showed India reaching 100/0 after six overs, with Abhishek on 76 from 22 balls and Sanju Samson on 24 from 14.

This is an important part of the story because the century was not built slowly after the powerplay.

A major part of the damage had already been done within the first six overs.

India’s opening pair also reached the team’s century during the powerplay, something described by ABP Live as a first in T20I cricket. Abhishek and Samson eventually put together a 142-run opening partnership.

Powerplay snapshot

India: 100/0 after six overs
Abhishek Sharma: 76 off 22
Sanju Samson: 24 off 14
Abhishek reached 50 in 16 balls
Abhishek later completed his century in 30 balls

This shows why the record should not be viewed only as a century statistic. It was also an extraordinary powerplay performance.

Why was Abhishek Sharma’s century so difficult to achieve?

Scoring a T20I century is difficult because the batter has very little time to make mistakes.

A batter attempting to score 100 runs quickly has to manage several competing demands:

Boundary hitting
Strike rotation
Shot selection
Risk management
Reading the bowler
Handling field changes
Maintaining timing and balance
Avoiding dismissal

Abhishek’s innings was particularly difficult because he did not merely survive for 30 balls. He kept attacking throughout the period required to reach three figures.

His 16-ball fifty meant he was already operating at a very high scoring rate. From there, he needed to continue taking risks while Afghanistan’s bowlers were actively trying to find a way to stop him.

There is another layer to the achievement.

Once a batter approaches 90 or 95, the psychological pressure of reaching a hundred can sometimes change shot selection. Abhishek, however, completed the milestone without abandoning the attacking method that had taken him there.

That is what makes a 30-ball century different from simply having a high strike rate over a longer innings.

What does Abhishek Sharma’s record mean for his India T20I career?

The record strengthens Abhishek Sharma’s credentials as an attacking opening option for India, but one innings alone should not be treated as the complete measure of a player’s international career.

The context is important.

Before the Afghanistan series, the ICC noted that Abhishek had experienced a difficult period of results after the T20 World Cup. He had also scored 82 from 32 balls in the first T20I against Afghanistan, suggesting that his aggressive approach was producing results again.

The latest innings adds another major data point.

It shows that Abhishek can produce an innings capable of changing a T20I inside the opening overs. That has strategic value because India’s top order includes several aggressive batting options.

The current India squad also includes players such as Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, giving the team several possible combinations. The BCCI’s Afghanistan squad announcement listed Abhishek alongside these batting options.

So the broader career question is not simply whether Abhishek should be judged by this record. Instead, the key question is how consistently he can reproduce this attacking impact across different opponents, conditions and match situations.

How did the Afghanistan bowlers respond to his attacking batting?

Afghanistan struggled to contain the opening assault during the powerplay.

India reached 100 without losing a wicket in the first six overs, with Abhishek responsible for a substantial portion of that scoring.

The bowlers faced a difficult tactical situation because Abhishek’s scoring options extended across different areas of the ground.

He attacked pace, used the crease and also targeted spin. This forced Afghanistan to constantly reconsider lengths and field placements.

The eventual breakthrough came from Rashid Khan, who dismissed Abhishek after he had scored 108. That ended the opening partnership after India had already gained enormous momentum.

The Rashid-Abhishek matchup was particularly interesting even before the game. Pre-match data showed that Abhishek had been highly aggressive against Rashid despite having also been dismissed by him previously.

So Afghanistan eventually found the breakthrough, but by that stage Abhishek had already transformed the innings.

What should fans know about Abhishek Sharma’s record beyond the 30-ball number?

The 30-ball century is the headline, but the deeper story is about how Abhishek Sharma has developed into an aggressive T20 opening batter.

There are several details worth knowing.

1. He broke a record that stood for nearly nine years

Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball century against Sri Lanka in 2017 had been India’s benchmark. Abhishek reduced that mark to 30 balls.

2. He broke his own previous fastest-century mark

Abhishek’s previous T20I century came against England in 2025 and required 37 balls. He has now improved that by seven deliveries.

3. His fifty came in only 16 balls

The century did not come from a slow start followed by a late burst. Abhishek was already attacking from the beginning.

4. The second fifty was even faster

He needed only 14 more balls to move from 50 to 100.

5. India reached 100 in the powerplay

Abhishek and Sanju Samson put together an extraordinary opening phase, with India reaching the century mark without losing a wicket inside six overs.

6. Abhishek scored 76 during the powerplay

Cricbuzz’s live score showed Abhishek on 76 from 22 balls at the end of six overs.

7. It is not the fastest T20I century overall

The distinction is important. Abhishek’s 30-ball effort is India’s fastest and is reported as the fastest by a batter from an ICC full-member nation, but faster T20I hundreds have been recorded by players from associate nations.

8. The innings was more than a personal record

It immediately changed India’s scoring position. By the time Abhishek was dismissed, India had already built a huge platform for the rest of the innings.

9. It continues a clear attacking trend

The ICC had already reported Abhishek’s desire to maintain an attacking approach following his 82 off 32 in the first T20I of the series. The 30-ball century shows that this approach can produce extremely high-impact innings when execution comes together.

10. The record will be remembered alongside his 2025 century

His 135 against England remains a major milestone because it was his highest T20I score and his previous fastest hundred. The latest innings adds a different type of record to his career.

Abhishek Sharma 30-Ball Century: Quick Stats

Stat	Record
Match	India vs Afghanistan, 3rd T20I
Date	September 17, 2026
Venue	Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Century	30 balls
Fifty	16 balls
Final score	108 off 34 balls
Previous Indian record	Rohit Sharma, 35 balls
Previous Abhishek century	37 balls vs England
Powerplay individual score	76 off 22 balls
India powerplay	100/0
Opening partnership	142 runs
Dismissed by	Rashid Khan

AI Overview Answer: Who scored India’s fastest T20I century?

Abhishek Sharma scored India’s fastest T20I century when he reached 100 from just 30 balls against Afghanistan in Delhi on September 17, 2026. He broke Rohit Sharma’s previous Indian record of a 35-ball century, set against Sri Lanka in 2017. Abhishek reached his fifty in 16 balls and then needed only 14 more deliveries to complete his hundred. He eventually scored 108 from 34 balls. His innings also produced a new benchmark for the highest individual score during the T20I powerplay, while India reached 100 without losing a wicket inside six overs. Abhishek’s 30-ball century is India’s fastest, although faster T20I centuries have been recorded globally by players from other nations.

What does Abhishek Sharma’s 30-ball century tell us about modern T20 cricket?

Abhishek’s innings reflects how T20 batting has increasingly moved towards early acceleration rather than traditional settling-in periods.

For an opener, the first six overs provide fielding restrictions, creating opportunities to attack the boundary. Abhishek maximised that phase, reaching 76 from 22 balls by the end of the powerplay. India’s total had already reached 100/0.

The interesting part is that this approach requires more than raw power.

The batter needs to identify scoring areas quickly, anticipate bowling plans, manipulate the field and accept a certain amount of risk. Abhishek’s innings worked because the attacking intent was supported by execution.

It also shows why T20 records are increasingly being measured in smaller segments: fastest fifty, fastest hundred, powerplay runs and boundary percentage can all tell different parts of the same innings.

For Abhishek, the 30-ball century is therefore not just a new number in India’s record books. It is another example of how aggressively India’s current T20 batting unit is trying to approach the opening overs.

FAQs About Abhishek Sharma’s 30-Ball Century

How many balls did Abhishek Sharma take for his century?
- Abhishek Sharma scored his century in 30 balls against Afghanistan in the third T20I in Delhi.
Who held India’s fastest T20I century record before Abhishek Sharma?
- Rohit Sharma held the record with his 35-ball century against Sri Lanka in 2017.
How many balls did Abhishek Sharma take to score 50?
- He reached his fifty in 16 balls.
What was Abhishek Sharma’s final score?
- He scored 108 runs from 34 balls before being dismissed by Rashid Khan.
Is Abhishek Sharma’s 30-ball century the fastest T20I century in the world?
- No. It is India’s fastest T20I century. Current reports list faster hundreds by Sahil Chauhan and Muhammad Fahad.
What was Abhishek Sharma’s previous fastest T20I century?
- His previous fastest T20I century came against England in 2025, when he reached 100 from 37 balls.
What was Abhishek Sharma’s highest individual T20I score before this match?
- His previous highest T20I score was 135 against England in Mumbai in 2025.
What powerplay record did Abhishek Sharma set?
- He recorded the highest individual score during the powerplay in men’s T20Is, according to reports. He was on 76 from 22 balls at the end of six overs.
Who dismissed Abhishek Sharma?
- Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan dismissed Abhishek after his 108-run innings.
What was India’s powerplay score?
- India reached 100/0 after six overs, with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson opening the innings.

Final Takeaway

Abhishek Sharma’s 30-ball century against Afghanistan is significant because it combines several major T20I milestones in one innings. He broke Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball Indian record, improved his own previous 37-ball century mark, reached fifty in only 16 balls and helped India reach 100 without losing a wicket during the powerplay. His final 108 off 34 balls turned an already aggressive start into a record-setting performance.

The most accurate way to describe the achievement is India’s fastest T20I century, rather than simply calling it the fastest T20I century ever. That distinction matters because faster hundreds have been recorded elsewhere in international T20 cricket. Even with that qualification, Abhishek’s performance represents a major statistical milestone in Indian T20I cricket and another defining moment in his rapidly developing international career.

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