Abhishek Sharma found himself at the centre of an unusual incident after India completed a 3-0 T20I series sweep over Afghanistan in Delhi on Thursday, September 17. Following the convincing victory, a female fan attempted to get past the security personnel at the Indian team hotel while calling out to the explosive opener for a photograph.
The incident came shortly after Abhishek produced another breathtaking display of T20 cricket. The left-hander smashed 108 off just 34 deliveries in the third T20I, helping India post a massive 221/7. The bowlers then dismissed Afghanistan for 94 as India registered a commanding 127-run victory.
Abhishek’s century also strengthened his growing record in T20 cricket. The 24-year-old has now registered 10 T20 centuries, moving level with Virat Kohli for the most hundreds by an Indian batter in the format. KL Rahul, Sanju Samson and Rohit Sharma follow with eight centuries each.
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His latest hundred was particularly remarkable because Abhishek reached the milestone in only 30 balls. It became the fastest T20I century by a batter from a Full Member nation, surpassing the previous record of 33 balls jointly held by Sikandar Raza and Finn Allen. David Miller and Rohit Sharma had earlier reached T20I hundreds in 35 deliveries.
The knock was equally impressive for the manner in which Abhishek accumulated his runs. He scored 102 of his 108 runs through boundaries, meaning 94.44 percent of his total came from fours and sixes. That percentage is the highest recorded in a T20I century.
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Abhishek also continued his extraordinary six-hitting form. He smashed 11 sixes against Afghanistan, taking his tally for India in a T20I innings to the second-highest mark behind his own record of 13 against England in Mumbai in 2025. Rohit Sharma and Sanju Samson have also hit 10 sixes in a T20I innings for India.
The opener has now struck 96 sixes in T20 cricket during 2026, following 108 sixes in 2025 and 87 in 2024. His latest performance capped an impressive series for India against Afghanistan.
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After the match, the Indian team returned to its hotel, where the fan attempted to approach Abhishek while he was walking through the lobby. Security personnel intervened and pulled her back as the batter continued towards the team. Abhishek did not stop, with security successfully managing the situation.
Former India batter Mohammad Kaif also praised the changes Abhishek has made to his batting approach. Kaif highlighted that the opener is now showing greater patience before launching his attacking shots.
“Abhishek has worked on his game as well. If you remember, he used to go to hit shots from the very first ball in the Asia Cup and got out as well. Now, he is giving himself three to four balls and then going for his shots. This was a commendable knock, and you will not find such a player again. He is a gift that we need to preserve,” Kaif said in a video on Instagram.
