Asked to bat first, Abhishek went on a rampage, smashing 135 off just 54 balls, including seven boundaries and 13 sixes. He raced to his century in just 37 balls, registering the second-fastest T20I hundred by an Indian batter and propelling the hosts to a massive total of 247 for 9.
India’s bowlers then delivered a clinical performance, with Mohammed Shami (3/25), Varun Chakravarthy (2/25), Shivam Dube (2/11), and Abhishek Sharma (2/3) dismantling England’s batting lineup, bundling them out for just 97 in 10.3 overs.
Abhishek narrowly missed equaling Rohit Sharma’s record for the fastest T20I century by an Indian, falling short by just two balls. Rohit had reached his hundred in 35 deliveries against Sri Lanka in 2017.
Earlier, Abhishek had also smashed a 17-ball half-century—the second-fastest by an Indian—when he launched Jamie Overton for a towering six in the fifth over. He later forged a crucial 115-run second-wicket stand with Tilak Varma (24).