Abhishek Sharma Breaks Virat Kohli’s T20 Century Record

WELLINGTON India’s Abhishek Sharma has overtaken Virat Kohli to become the Indian batter with the most centuries in T20 cricket, reaching the milestone with a stunning 38-ball 113 against New Zealand in the third T20I. The left-handed opener struck nine fours and 11 sixes at a remarkable strike rate of 297.37, powering India to an eight-wicket victory with 40 balls to spare. The win also sealed a 3-0 series sweep for India. Abhishek now has 11 centuries in T20 cricket, surpassing Kohli’s tally of 10. Globally, he ranks third on the list of most T20 centuries, behind West Indies great Chris Gayle, who has 22, and Pakistan’s Babar Azam, with 13. The 24-year-old has also scored four centuries in T20 internationals, placing him joint second on the all-time list alongside Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and England’s Phil Salt. Australia’s Glenn Maxwell leads the chart with five T20I centuries. Abhishek has accumulated 2,240 runs in 70 T20 internationals, maintaining a strike rate of 196.83. His record includes four centuries, 14 half-centuries and a highest score of 135. His performance this year has been equally impressive. In 37 T20Is, he has scored 1,125 runs at a strike rate of 206.42, including two centuries and eight half-centuries. He is just 40 runs short of breaking Suryakumar Yadav’s record for the most T20I runs by an Indian in a calendar year — 1,164, scored in 2022. Abhishek has also hit 10 or more sixes in a T20I innings seven times, second only to Gayle’s 18 such performances. He has become only the third Indian to cross 150 sixes in T20 internationals, with 158 to his name. In the match, New Zealand posted 198/3, powered by Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 89. Abhishek and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who scored 45 off 19 balls, launched India’s chase with an explosive opening partnership.