Abhishek Sharma smashes fastest T20I century by a full-member batter in 3rd T20I vs Afghanistan

Abhishek Sharma brought up a century off just 30 balls against Afghanistan in the third T20I at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on September 17, 2026, claiming the record for the quickest T20I hundred ever scored by a batter from an ICC Full-Member nation.

He went on to make 108 off 34 balls, an innings that contained 9 fours and 11 sixes. Abhishek completed his half-century off 16 balls and required only 14 more deliveries to reach three figures, before being dismissed in the tenth over with India placed at 142 for 1. Opening partner Sanju Samson contributed 34 off 25 balls at the other end.

The previous Full Member benchmark of 33 balls was jointly held by Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza, who set it against Gambia on October 23, 2024, and New Zealand's Finn Allen, who equalled it against South Africa on March 4, 2026. Abhishek's effort is three balls quicker than that shared mark.

How does Abhishek's century compare across all T20I records?

In the broader T20I list that covers Associate nations as well, Estonia's Sahil Chauhan holds the outright fastest century at 27 balls, achieved against Cyprus in 2024. Turkey's Muhammad Fahad struck a 29-ball hundred against Bulgaria in Sofia in 2025, placing him second on that all-format list. Abhishek's 30-ball effort sits third overall but stands alone among Full Member batters.

Abhishek also erased the India national record in the process. Rohit Sharma had held that mark with a 35-ball century against Sri Lanka in Indore on December 22, 2017. The new record is five balls faster than Rohit's effort.

The sheer pace of the innings is further underlined by the numbers: Abhishek struck one six every 3.09 balls across his 34-ball stay and contributed just over 76 per cent of India's total of 142 for 1 at the time of his dismissal. The combination of boundary frequency and overall dominance over a Full Member attack makes this one of the most destructive T20I innings ever recorded in the format.

Where does this hundred sit in Abhishek Sharma's T20I career?

This was Abhishek's third T20I century, a tally that places him in select company within Indian cricket. Only Rohit Sharma, with five T20I hundreds, and Suryakumar Yadav, with four, have scored more centuries for India in the format. Reaching three T20I hundreds at the pace Abhishek has managed underlines how rapidly he has established himself as a match-winner at the top of the order.

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From a broader perspective, the knock also highlights the evolution of T20I batting standards at the highest level. Abhishek's ability to accelerate from a 16-ball fifty to a 30-ball hundred, sustaining that rate against international-quality bowling, signals a new benchmark for what is achievable in the powerplay and beyond for India's top order.