Abhishek Sharma has developed a rather expensive habit of making bowlers regret their career choices, and Wellington witnessed his latest act of batting
vandalism. The Indian opener hammered 113 off just 38 balls against New Zealand on October 27, reaching his fourth T20I century in 35 deliveries.
His 11 sixes helped India chase 199 in merely 13.2 overs, securing a six-wicket victory and an unassailable 3-0 series lead. With a record 118-run powerplay, eight career first-ball sixes, and four international centuries already under his belt, Sharma's destructive batting has become a statistical spectacle.
Abhishek Sharma's Top 5 T20I Scores Reveal a Frightening Pattern
There is something deliciously audacious about Sharma's batting. Conventional openers prefer reconnaissance before launching an attack. The Punjab southpaw apparently considers those early deliveries an unnecessary formality.
His latest century has climbed straight into second place among his highest individual T20I scores, behind the 135 that left England battered at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium in February 2025.
| Rank | Score | Opposition | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 135 (54) | England | Mumbai | 2025 |
| 2 | 113 (38) | New Zealand | Wellington | 2026 |
| 3 | 108 (34) | Afghanistan | Delhi | 2026 |
| 4 | 100 (47) | Zimbabwe | Harare | 2024 |
| 5 | 84 (35) | New Zealand | Nagpur | 2026 |
The Mumbai innings remains his personal summit, featuring 13 sixes, the most by an Indian batter in a men's T20I innings. His 135 off 54 balls also established India's highest individual score in the format.
Then came September's 108 against Afghanistan, when Sharma reached three figures in just 30 balls, surpassing Rohit Sharma's Indian record of 35 deliveries.
His maiden century against Zimbabwe in July 2024 offered the first glimpse of this uninhibited aggression. Meanwhile, his 84 off 35 balls against New Zealand in Nagpur this January demonstrated how little time he needs to put a match beyond the opposition's comfort zone.
Wellington's 113 now provides another persuasive argument. Sharma struck nine fours and 11 sixes, scoring nearly 3 runs per delivery before Kyle Jamieson finally dismissed him.
Eight First-Ball Sixes, a 26-Run Over, and New Zealand's Powerplay Nightmare
Sharma's appetite for aggression becomes even more extraordinary when examining his first-ball statistics. He has now struck the first delivery he faced for six on eight occasions in T20 internationals, extending the record he established against New Zealand in Christchurch five days earlier.
Afghanistan's Shafiqullah Shinwari follows with six such instances, while Suryakumar Yadav has five. Paul Stirling, Colin Munro, and Mohammad Naveed have four apiece, according to available ball-by-ball records.
New Zealand's Jacob Duffy suffered immediately in Wellington, conceding 26 runs in the opening over. The figure matched the first-over mark recorded against Malta's Varun Thamotharam by Gibraltar in May 2023.
For context, West Indies pacer Kemar Roach had conceded 24 runs in the opening over against Australia in Sydney in 2010, another extraordinary example of early-innings punishment.
The carnage continued as Sharma and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi amassed 133 runs for the opening wicket in just 7.1 overs. Their 118 runs in the first six overs established a new men's T20I powerplay record, eclipsing the previous mark of 116. Sharma even survived a dropped catch on 92 before reaching his century and celebrating with a gesture inspired by football star Erling Haaland.
We find his batting philosophy fascinating because it leaves bowlers practically no breathing room. His approach carries obvious risks, especially when early movement or clever changes of pace complicate his stroke-making. Yet his growing collection of centuries suggests that the rewards are increasingly difficult to ignore.
And perhaps that is his greatest weapon. Before an opposition captain has finished arranging the field, Sharma can already have the scoreboard looking like a crime scene.
