Abhishek Sharma smashes 28-ball ton in SMAT 2024-25; levels Urvil Patel's record for fastest T20 ton by an Indian
Punjab captain Abhishek Sharma created history by scoring a whirlwind 28-ball ton in the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Group A clash against Meghalaya in Rajkot on Thursday, December 5. The opening batter leveled the record created by Urvil Patel last week to become the joint-holder of the fastest T20 hundred scored by an Indian.
Punjab were given a target of 143 by the opposition, and though they lost a couple of wickets in the powerplay, the left-handed batter led the charge single-handedly. He reached his half-century off just 14 deliveries and had the record in sight with Punjab still needing 82 runs to win.
He continued to operate in the highest possible gear, eventually reaching the three-figure mark off 28 deliveries, as Punjab recorded a comfortable seven-wicket win with more than 10 overs to spare.
Abhishek Sharma ended unbeaten on 102 runs off 28 deliveries at a strike rate of 365.52. He primarily dealt in boundaries, as 98 runs of his knock came through fours and sixes. He scored eight fours and 11 sixes during his stay at the crease.
This now marks the joint second-fastest T20 ton of all time. Estonia's Sahil Chauhan holds the record at present after his 27-ball ton against Cyprus in June 2024.
Abhishek Sharma now holds the record for the fastest T20 ton by a left-handed batter. The record was previously held by Chris Gayle, who reached the three-figure mark off just 30 deliveries, en route to his iconic 175 run-knock during the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) season against the Pune Warriors India.
Abhishek Sharma was retained by SRH ahead of IPL 2025
The explosive opening batter had shown that he was the ideal modern-day T20 batter with his incredible season for the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) during IPL 2024. His exploits led him to a national debut, and a retention by the franchise right before the 2025 IPL mega auction.
Abhishek Sharma had recorded a set of starts for Punjab in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, including a fifty against Madhya Pradesh. He had recorded a duck in his previous outing against Rajasthan.