New Delhi: Abhishek Sharma credited a simple message from his mentor Yuvraj Singh for helping him produce one of the most explosive innings in T20I cricket.
The left-handed opener smashed a breathtaking 108 off just 34 balls in the third T20I against Afghanistan, powering India to a massive 127-run victory and a 3-0 series sweep. His innings included nine fours and 11 sixes.
Abhishek revealed that Yuvraj had contacted him after the second match, in which he scored 39 following an 82 in the series opener. The former India all-rounder advised him not to force every delivery and encouraged him to rotate the strike when conditions demanded it.
“He told me not to force all the balls. In these conditions, if I take one or two singles in between, it helps,” Abhishek said.
The advice worked perfectly as Abhishek maintained his attacking approach while also finding opportunities to take singles. He reached his century in only 30 balls, setting a new record for the fastest T20I hundred in a match involving full-member nations.
His 108 came after India raced to 142 for one in 10 overs. Following his dismissal, India lost momentum but still finished strongly at 221 for seven.
Afghanistan struggled badly in the chase and were bowled out for 94 in 14.1 overs. Axar Patel struck twice in his opening over, dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal, while Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed three wickets for 25 runs. Ravi Bishnoi completed the collapse with his third wicket.
Abhishek’s century surpassed the previous 33-ball efforts of Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza and New Zealand’s Finn Allen in matches against Gambia and South Africa respectively.
Only two faster T20I centuries have been recorded overall, both in matches involving Associate nations. Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan holds the record with a 27-ball hundred against Cyprus in 2024, while Turkey’s Muhammad Fahad reached three figures from 29 balls against Bulgaria in 2025.
For Abhishek, however, the innings was also another reminder of the influence Yuvraj continues to have on his development as a batter.
