Breaking Rohit Sharma's record 'a big achievement', says Abhishek Sharma
What's the story
Indian cricketer Abhishek Sharma has said that breaking Rohit Sharma's record for the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian batter is one of his biggest achievements. He achieved this feat by scoring a stunning 30-ball century against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Abhishek's explosive innings helped India post a massive total of 221/7 and win the match by 127 runs, clinching the series 3-0.
Milestone achievement
Fastest T20I hundred (FM sides) and 3rd-fastest T20I century overall
Abhishek's blistering knock of 108 runs off just 34 balls not only helped India win the match but also broke the record for the fastest T20I hundred by a Test-playing nation batter.
The previous record was held by Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza and New Zealand's Finn Allen, who both scored their centuries in 33 balls.
Abhishek's 30-ball hundred is the 3rd-fastest overall in Men's T20Is.
Personal achievement
'It's a big achievement...,' said Abhishek
"It's a big achievement, not for just me, for all the Indians I could probably say," reacting to his record-breaking feat, Abhishek said in a video posted by bcci.tv.
He added that he loved watching Rohit Sharma play T20 cricket and breaking his record is one of his biggest achievements so far.
The left-handed opener also credited the aggressive team environment for his explosive innings against Afghanistan.
Game strategy
Abhishek credits coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Shreyas Iyer
Abhishek emphasized the importance of creating an atmosphere where players can express themselves freely.
He said, "It's our responsibility as a batter to make sure we create that atmosphere again, where we have freedom to just go and express ourselves."
The Indian opener also revealed that head coach Gautam Gambhir and T20I captain Shreyas Iyer have been instrumental in supporting this aggressive approach over the last two years.
Team motivation
Abhishek delivers Punjabi pep talk to teammates before match
Before the match against Afghanistan, Abhishek addressed his teammates in a Punjabi pep talk.
He called them "Soormas," which means warriors, and urged them to play their natural game.
The left-handed opener said he was inspired by Navjot Singh Sidhu's famous line "Chak de phatte, nap de killi, subah Jalandhar, shaam nu Dilli" and wanted to lighten the atmosphere in the team before the crucial match.
Twitter Post
Abhishek!
Meditation ✅
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 18, 2026
Manifestation ✅
Domination ✅
🎥 Presenting 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙚𝙩, ft. Record-Breaker Abhishek Sharma 👊 - By @RajalArora #TeamIndia | #AFGvIND | @OfficialAbhi04 https://t.co/JQBbuvopRm