 "India opener Abhishek Sharma celebrates after completing his century in 37 balls during the fifth T20 against England in Mumbai. AP")
Rising star Abhishek Sharma produced another blinder of an innings, smashing a whirlwind century to put India in pole position in the fifth and final T20I against England at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Sunday . Abhishek brought up the three-figure mark for the second time in Twenty20 Internationals in just 37 deliveries – the second-fastest in the format after India’s Rohit Sharma and South Africa’s David Miller, both of whom had slammed 35-ball centuries in the past.
The explosive opener reached his century with a single in the first delivery of the 11th over, with India having raced to 143/2 at the halfway mark of their innings. He had scored a 46-ball hundred in just his second international appearance during the T20I tour of Zimbabwe in July last year.
It has been a record-breaking evening so far for the Men in Blue, who had been invited to bat by opposition captain Jos Buttler earlier. India not only registered their highest-ever powerplay score in T20Is by racing to 95/1 after six overs, Abhishek would bring up the fastest team hundred for the hosts by smashing leg-spinner Adil Rashid for a six just three balls later.
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India’s previous fastest team hundred was in 7.1 overs against Bangladesh in Hyderabad in October.
Abhishek was eventually dismissed for 135 off 54 deliveries off Rashid’s bowling in the final delivery of the 18th over, departing after smashing 13 sixes and seven fours.
India, who had clinched the five-match series with a 15-run victory in the fourth T20I in Pune, posted 247/9 at the end of 20 overs, boosting their chances of completing a 4-1 series victory and further bolstering Suryakumar Yadav’s solid record as captain.