Abhishek Sharma was the lone warrior for India, as the young left-hander fought a solitary battle for India in the second T20I against Australia at the iconic
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Despite India slipping to a disappointing total, Abhishek's fearless stroke play lit up the evening, earning him his first T20I fifty in Australian conditions.
Continuing his remarkable run after three consecutive fifties in the Asia Cup, Abhishek hammered a 23-ball half-century - a feat that now places him among elite company. It was his seventh T20I fifty scored in 25 or fewer deliveries, a record he now shares with Suryakumar Yadav, Phil Salt, and Evin Lewis among full-member nations.
The Punjab batter eventually made a fluent 68 off 37 balls, decorated with eight boundaries and two sixes. While Harshit Rana contributed a handy 35, the rest of the batting lineup faltered against a disciplined Australian attack, leaving India struggling to post a competitive total.
Most T20I 50s in Less than 25 balls
7 - Abhishek Sharma (India)
7 - Phil Salt (England)
7 - Evin Lewis (West Indies)
7 - Suryakumar Yadav (India)
Abhishek's whirlwind knock also equaled Suryakumar Yadav's 23-ball fifty - the joint-fastest T20I half-century by an Indian in Australia, matching SKY's effort against Zimbabwe in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Abhishek Sharma goes past Gautam Gambhir
Apart from that, the southpaw has now also overtaken Gautam Gambhir for most scores as an Indian opener against Australia in T20Is. Sharma scored 67, four runs more than his current India head coach. Ruturaj Gaikwad's 123 in 2023 is the most by an Indian opener against the Aussies.
