Abhishek Sharma has revealed the real meaning behind his unusual celebration after smashing a record-breaking century against Afghanistan in the third T20I. While his meditation pose looked similar to Manchester City star Erling Haaland’s famous celebration, the Indian opener insisted it was not inspired by the footballer.
Abhishek produced one of the most explosive innings of his young international career at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday. He reached his century from just 30 balls, becoming the fastest Indian batter to score a hundred in T20I cricket.
The 30-ball hundred saw him surpass Rohit Sharma’s previous Indian record of 35 balls, set against Sri Lanka in 2017. Abhishek smashed 10 sixes and nine fours while racing to three figures, taking India to 132 without loss in only 8.3 overs.
After reaching the landmark, Abhishek dropped to the ground and adopted a meditation pose, prompting comparisons with Haaland’s trademark celebration. However, the 25-year-old explained that the gesture had a more personal meaning.
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Speaking to broadcasters after the match, Abhishek revealed that meditation has become an important part of his routine over the past six months to a year. He said it has helped him remain mentally stable while dealing with the highs and lows of professional cricket.
AN ICE COLD CELEBRATION BY ABHISHEK SHARMA AFTER SCRIPTING HISTORY. 🧘♂️
Har Har Mahadev 🕉️pic.twitter.com/hoNdKy7Xbt
— Babumoshai (@TeraKabil) September 17, 2026
“This is something I have been doing for quite some time, six months to a year. I have focused a lot on meditation and manifestation because when you are playing cricket throughout the year, there are a lot of ups and downs as a cricketer.”
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Abhishek also wanted his celebration to encourage other cricketers to explore meditation if they felt it could help them manage pressure. > “I just wanted that if someone sees it, if any cricketer feels that it actually really helped me from the last six to eight months. So that was the specific celebration for that, that this is something which is keeping me stable,” he said.
His sensational knock ultimately powered India to a 127-run victory over Afghanistan. The result completed a 3-0 T20I series sweep, with Abhishek finishing the contest as one of India’s standout performers.
