Abhishek Sharma rewrote the T20I record books in Delhi with a breathtaking 30-ball century against Afghanistan in the third and final T20I of the 2026 series.
The Indian opener eventually smashed 108 runs from only 34 deliveries, including nine fours and 11 sixes, as India posted 221/7 in 20 overs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Afghanistan were then bowled out for just 94 in 14.1 overs, giving India a massive 127-run victory and completing a 3-0 series sweep.
Abhishek's extraordinary hundred came from only 30 balls, making it the fastest T20I century ever scored by an Indian and the fastest against a Test-playing nation.
India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I 2026: Match Summary
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Series | India vs Afghanistan T20I Series 2026 |
| Match | 3rd T20I |
| Date | September 17, 2026 |
| Venue | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi |
| India | 221/7 in 20 overs |
| Afghanistan | 94 all out in 14.1 overs |
| Result | India won by 127 runs |
| Series Result | India won 3-0 |
| Player of the Match | Abhishek Sharma |
| Player of the Series | Abhishek Sharma |
Abhishek Sharma Creates T20I History in Delhi
The third T20I quickly turned into the Abhishek Sharma show.
The left-handed opener attacked Afghanistan's bowlers almost immediately and gave India one of the most explosive starts in their T20I history.
Abhishek needed just 16 deliveries to reach his half-century. Rather than slowing down after reaching fifty, he accelerated even further.
The next 50 runs arrived in only 14 deliveries as Abhishek completed a sensational 30-ball century.
Abhishek Sharma's 108 Off 34 Balls
| Abhishek Sharma Innings | Stat |
|---|---|
| Runs | 108 |
| Balls | 34 |
| Fours | 9 |
| Sixes | 11 |
| Half-century | 16 balls |
| Century | 30 balls |
| Strike Rate | 317.64 |
His innings contained nine fours and 11 sixes, meaning 102 of his 108 runs came in boundaries.
Rashid Khan eventually ended the innings with Abhishek on 108 from 34 deliveries, but the damage had already been done.
Fastest T20I Century by an Indian
Abhishek's 30-ball hundred shattered the previous Indian record held by Rohit Sharma.
Rohit had scored a 35-ball century against Sri Lanka at Indore in December 2017. Abhishek reduced that national record by five deliveries.
| Player | Balls | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abhishek Sharma | 30 | Afghanistan | 2026 |
| Rohit Sharma | 35 | Sri Lanka | 2017 |
Fastest T20I Hundred Against a Test-Playing Nation
The significance of Abhishek's century extends beyond Indian cricket.
His 30-ball hundred is the fastest T20I century by a batter against a Test-playing nation.
He surpassed the 33-ball centuries recorded by Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza and New Zealand's Finn Allen.
Allen's 33-ball century came against South Africa during the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final, while Raza reached three figures from 33 balls against Gambia in 2024.
Fastest Hundreds in Men's T20I Cricket
| Rank | Player | Team | Balls | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sahil Chauhan | Estonia | 27 | Cyprus | 2024 |
| 2 | Muhammad Fahad | Turkey | 29 | Bulgaria | 2025 |
| 3 | Abhishek Sharma | India | 30 | Afghanistan | 2026 |
| 4 | Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton | Namibia | 33 | Nepal | 2024 |
| 5 | Sikandar Raza | Zimbabwe | 33 | Gambia | 2024 |
| 6 | Finn Allen | New Zealand | 33 | South Africa | 2026 |
That places Abhishek's innings third on the all-time list of fastest men's T20I hundreds.
India Smash 100 Runs in the Powerplay
Abhishek Sharma was not alone in India's extraordinary start.
Opening partner Sanju Samson initially played the supporting role before joining the attack.
The pair took India to 100 runs from the six-over powerplay, setting a new team-best powerplay score for India in T20 internationals.
Samson eventually completed his own half-century, scoring 50 from 35 deliveries.
Abhishek Sharma Takes Apart Afghanistan's Attack
Afghanistan possess one of international cricket's most experienced T20 bowling attacks, but Abhishek refused to allow their leading bowlers to settle.
He attacked Azmatullah Omarzai early before targeting Fazalhaq Farooqi. Abhishek then maintained the pressure when Afghanistan introduced their experienced spin attack.
Even the combination of Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan was unable to stop India's rapid scoring during the powerplay.
Rashid Khan Finally Ends Abhishek's Innings
Abhishek looked capable of producing an even bigger score before Rashid Khan dismissed him for 108.
The wicket arrived one delivery before the halfway stage of India's innings.
India's scoring rate dropped considerably after losing their explosive opener, highlighting just how dominant Abhishek had been.
Afghanistan Fight Back After Abhishek's Dismissal
India were 164/2 after 13 overs but Afghanistan managed to slow the scoring during the closing stages.
India added only 57 more runs across the final seven overs and eventually finished on 221/7.
Azmatullah Omarzai was Afghanistan's standout bowler, finishing with figures of 2/27.
Three Indian batters were also run out during the innings.
Afghanistan's Chase Falls Apart
Chasing 222 required Afghanistan to attack from the beginning.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran attempted to provide that start, adding 31 runs in the first three overs.
India quickly regained control when Axar Patel struck twice in the fourth over.
Jasprit Bumrah then struck in the fifth over before Yash Thakur added another breakthrough in the sixth.
Nitish Kumar Reddy Destroys Afghanistan's Lower Order
Any remaining Afghanistan hopes disappeared when Nitish Kumar Reddy produced a devastating spell in the 12th over.
The all-rounder claimed three wickets in five deliveries, ripping through Afghanistan's lower order.
Nitish finished with figures of 3/25.
Ravi Bishnoi also impressed, taking 3/26, as Afghanistan were dismissed for only 94 in 14.1 overs.
India Win by 127 Runs
Afghanistan's collapse handed India a commanding 127-run victory.
The result completed a clean 3-0 sweep of the T20I series, with India having also won each of the first two matches by seven wickets.
Abhishek Sharma Named Player of the Series
The record century completed an outstanding series for Abhishek Sharma.
He finished the three matches with 229 runs at an average of 76.33 and an extraordinary strike rate of 269.41.
Abhishek also struck 22 sixes across the series.
| Series Stat | Abhishek Sharma |
|---|---|
| Matches | 3 |
| Runs | 229 |
| Average | 76.33 |
| Strike Rate | 269.41 |
| Sixes | 22 |
| Highest Score | 108 |
His performances earned him both the Player of the Match award in the third T20I and the Player of the Series award.
Abhishek Sharma Now Has Three T20I Centuries
The Delhi hundred was Abhishek Sharma's third century in T20 internationals.
Among Indian men's players, only Rohit Sharma with five and Suryakumar Yadav with four have scored more T20I hundreds.
At only 26, Abhishek has established himself as one of the most destructive opening batters in international T20 cricket.
Abhishek Also Owns India's Top Two Six-Hitting Performances
Abhishek's 11 sixes against Afghanistan represent the second-most sixes by an Indian men's batter in a T20I innings.
Remarkably, the record above it also belongs to Abhishek. He smashed 13 sixes against England in Mumbai in February 2025.
That means Abhishek now occupies the top two positions for most sixes in a men's T20I innings by an Indian batter.
From 82 to 108: Abhishek Dominates Afghanistan Series
Abhishek had already signalled his form in the opening T20I when he hammered 82 from only 32 deliveries.
He followed that performance with 39 in the second match before producing his record-breaking century in the series finale.
His combination of boundary-hitting, fearless powerplay batting and ability to attack both pace and spin made him Afghanistan's biggest problem throughout the series.
India Turn Attention to Japan and Asian Games 2026
With the Afghanistan series complete, India's attention now shifts to Japan.
India are scheduled to play a historic one-off T20I against Japan on September 22 before beginning their men's cricket campaign at the Asian Games 2026.
The Afghanistan series therefore provided an emphatic preparation phase, with Abhishek Sharma heading to Japan after producing one of the fastest centuries international cricket has ever seen.
