Abhishek Sharma credits Suryakumar Yadav's influence after smashing record 30-ball century against Afghanistan

Abhishek Sharma produced a devastating batting display against Afghanistan at Arun Jaitley Stadium on September 17, 2026, scoring 108 off 34 balls as India posted 221 for 7 in the third T20I. The young batter's explosive innings featured nine fours and 11 sixes, with 76 of his runs coming in the opening six overs, the highest individual score in that phase of any men's T20I. India's dominant performance extended to the bowling attack, with Afghanistan restricted to 94 all out, resulting in a 127-run victory.

Abhishek's century came at an extraordinary pace. He reached the three-figure mark in just 30 deliveries, breaking the full-member T20I record previously held jointly by Sikandar Raza and Finn Allen, who both scored centuries in 33 balls. The record also surpassed India's previous benchmark, the 35-ball century scored by Rohit Sharma against Sri Lanka in Indore in 2017.

"I remember in the first practice we spoke about how we want to dominate a game," Abhishek was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

SKY's influence on Abhishek's fearless approach

The young opener credited Suryakumar for constantly encouraging him to make the most of the powerplay, while Gambhir wanted him to create an attacking atmosphere in the dressing room.

“You have to be fearless, think about the team always. When SKY was there, he always wanted me to utilize the powerplay. Because of you see T20 game is mostly about the powerplays. That’s what GG bhai (head coach Gautam Gambhir) wanted. He wanted me to create that atmosphere in the dressing room where you can just go out there and be fearless, play the way you want," he added.

India's powerplay dominance was evident in the match, with the team scoring 100 runs in the opening six overs. This aggressive approach reflected the team's philosophy under Gambhir's coaching, emphasising fearless cricket during the crucial early phase of T20 matches.

Abhishek further stressed that India’s brief run of poor results after the 2026 T20 World Cup did not affect the team’s confidence or their approach to batting.

"We dominated for the two years leading up to the T20 World Cup. Just after that one or two series can’t define our batting department or the way we want to play," the left-hander said.

Afghanistan's bowling attack was unable to contain India's onslaught. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravi Bishnoi each took three wickets, while Axar Patel claimed two, dismantling the opposition batting order comprehensively. The victory underscored India's return to dominant performances and demonstrated the effectiveness of the aggressive batting strategy that Abhishek had championed during his record-breaking innings.