Abhishek Sharma sets record for most sixteens in T20I, surpassing Suryakumar Yadav

In the third T20 match between India and West India, held at Holkar Stadium in Indore, Indian opening batsman Abhishek Sharma attracted the attention of spectators with his impressive performance. He achieved a historic feat by setting a world record for the fastest accumulation of 2000 runs in international T20 cricket.

Thus, Abhishek Sharma surpassed a significant record previously held by the former T20 captain of the team, Suryakumar Yadav. The twenty-six-year-old left-hander Abhishek reached this mark by facing only 1024 balls.

Previously, this record belonged to Suryakumar Yadav, who scored 2000 runs in a T20I against South Africa in Gqeberha in December 2023, facing 1164 balls. By surpassing this figure, Abhishek wrote a new chapter in sports history.

After setting the record, Abhishek continued to demonstrate excellent play, hitting a half-century in just 18 balls. Following an unsuccessful performance in the first match, Abhishek unleashed a flurry of sixes and fours on the field in Indore.

In the second over of the match, Abhishek hit two powerful sixes and hit a boundary over the cover off a ball bowled by Chase. He also successfully hit balls from Sharma Springer and Sharma Joseph outside the boundary.

After Sandeep Samson was dismissed for a small number of runs, Abhishek built a rapid partnership with Ishan Kishan, scoring a half-century in just 20 balls. Abhishek himself scored 69 runs, using 6 fours and 5 sixes off 30 balls. However, his innings ended in the tenth over when Springer caught him.

During the second T20 series match between India and West Indies, held in Ranchi on Friday (October 9), Sanju Samson demonstrated an outstanding performance with the bat. Samson, who scored only 11 runs in the first match of the series, managed to score a half-century off just 21 balls in this game. This marked the fastest half-century by an Indian player against the West Indies in a T20 International match.

Virat Kohli had previously set a similar record, reaching fifty runs off 21 balls at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in 2019. Sanju Samson's aggressive performance also positively impacted the start of the Indian team. During the powerplay, India scored 79 runs while losing one batsman, which is the highest total in the powerplay against the West Indies in T20 International history. Previously, the Indian team had scored 72 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in 2019 without losing any batsmen.

In Samson's innings, aggression was accompanied by luck. He avoided being dismissed for a personal score of six runs when he was caught in the third over. He then received another chance and scored 42 runs. These errors allowed the West Indies to face consequences. Samson completed his half-century by hitting the fourth boundary off Romario Shepherd's delivery in the sixth over.

He achieved this milestone by hitting two consecutive boundaries off just 21 balls. In total, Sanju Samson scored 82 runs off 41 balls, including 9 fours and 4 sixes. His attacking style forced the West Indies players to be under pressure from the beginning of the game.

Indian captain Shreyas Iyer decided to start the game despite losing the toss. Samson and Abhishek Sharma started the innings, adding 42 runs in four overs while losing the first batsman. Abhishek scored 20 runs off 12 balls, but even after his dismissal, Samson did not slow down the scoring rate. After that, he continued to accumulate runs with Ishan Kishan, and Samson's quick start allowed the team to reach a high score.

West Indies captain Shy Hap chose a strategy of starting the game with the visiting team, deciding that the situation with dew might become more complicated as the evening progressed. Gudakesh Motie was included in the squad, while India made no changes to its starting lineup. Samson's half-century off 21 balls not only matched Virat Kohli's record but also set a new benchmark for India's performances in the powerplay against the West Indies.