--- title: "Abhishek Sharma Smashes 30-Ball T20I Century as India Sweep Afghanistan 3-0" url: https://whatsthescore.in/blog/abhishek-sharma-smashes-30-ball-t20i-century-as-india-sweep-afghanistan-3-0 author: "Arpan Ghosh" author_url: https://whatsthescore.in/author/arpan-ghosh author_title: "Senior Cricket Analyst, Historian & Former Cricketer" publisher: "What's The Score" category: "Cricket" type: news published: 2026-09-19T13:11:00+05:30 updated: 2026-09-30T06:51:22+05:30 reading_time_minutes: 6 tags: ["Abhishek Sharma", "Afghanistan Cricket", "Arun Jaitley Stadium", "Asian Games 2026", "cricket news", "Cricket Records", "Delhi Cricket", "Fastest T20I Century", "IND vs AFG", "India cricket", "India vs Afghanistan", "Nitish Kumar Reddy", "Rashid Khan", "Ravi Bishnoi", "Rohit Sharma", "Sanju Samson", "T20I Records"] license: "Quotation with attribution and a link is permitted. Full reproduction is not." canonical: https://whatsthescore.in/blog/abhishek-sharma-smashes-30-ball-t20i-century-as-india-sweep-afghanistan-3-0 --- # Abhishek Sharma Smashes 30-Ball T20I Century as India Sweep Afghanistan 3-0 *Abhishek Sharma rewrote T20I history with a sensational 30-ball century against Afghanistan in Delhi. The Indian opener smashed 108 off 34 balls, including 11 sixes, as India posted 221/7 before bowling Afghanistan out for 94 to win by 127 runs and complete a 3-0 series sweep.* By Arpan Ghosh · 19 September 2026 · 6 min read ## Key takeaways - Abhishek Sharma smashed 108 from only 34 balls against Afghanistan. - He reached his century in just 30 balls. - It became the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian, breaking Rohit Sharma's 35-ball record. BCCI - It was the fastest T20I century against a Test-playing nation. Sky Sports - His century is the third-fastest men's T20I hundred overall, behind Sahil Chauhan's 27-ball and Muhammad Fahad's 29-ball centuries. icc - Abhishek reached his fifty in 16 balls. - His innings featured nine fours and 11 sixes. - Sanju Samson scored 50 as India registered a team-best 100-run T20I powerplay. icc **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. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many balls did Abhishek Sharma take to score his century? Abhishek Sharma reached his century from just 30 balls against Afghanistan in Delhi on September 17, 2026. ### What was Abhishek Sharma's final score? He scored 108 from 34 balls, hitting nine fours and 11 sixes. ### Is Abhishek Sharma's 30-ball hundred the fastest T20I century ever? No. It is the third-fastest men's T20I hundred overall. Estonia's Sahil Chauhan holds the record with a 27-ball century, followed by Turkey's Muhammad Fahad with a 29-ball hundred. ## Sources - [Sky Sports - Abhishek Sharma Hits 30-Ball T20I Hundred](https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/13589058/indias-abhishek-sharma-hits-30-ball-hundred-the-fastest-in-t20-internationals-by-batter-from-test-playing-nation) - [ICC - Abhishek's Record Century Seals Series Sweep for India](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/sensational-abhishek-blazes-to-record-hundred) - [BCCI - Abhishek Sharma Breaks Records Galore With 30-Ball Hundred](https://www.bcci.tv/news/article/abhishek-sharma-breaks-records-galore-with-superb-30-ball-hundred-vs-afg) - [Indian Express - Abhishek Sharma Smashes Fastest Century by Indian in T20Is](https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/abhishek-sharma-smashes-fastest-century-by-indian-in-t20is-10882594/) --- Originally published by What's The Score at https://whatsthescore.in/blog/abhishek-sharma-smashes-30-ball-t20i-century-as-india-sweep-afghanistan-3-0