Abhishek Sharma's record 30-ball century powers India to 3-0 T20I series sweep

Abhishek Sharma achieved a remarkable feat in T20 cricket by becoming the fastest Indian to score a century, accomplishing the feat in just 30 balls during a match against Afghanistan in Delhi. This surpassed Rohit Sharma's previous record of 35 balls, set against Sri Lanka in 2017. Sharma's impressive innings included nine fours and 11 sixes, and he finished with a score of 108 from 34 balls.

The record-breaking performance marked a significant milestone, as Sharma also set a new record for the fastest T20I century by a batter from a Test playing nation and the third fastest overall. Only Estonia's Sahil Chauhan, with 27 balls, and Turkey's Muhammad Fahad, with 29 balls, had managed to reach a T20I hundred quicker.

In addition to Sharma's extraordinary performance, Sanju Samson contributed to India's record-breaking total with 50 runs from 35 balls, including four sixes and two boundaries. Sharma and Samson's combined efforts propelled India to 100 runs in the powerplay, which remains the highest total achieved in the first six overs of a men's T20I.

The connection between Sharma and his mentor, Yuvraj Singh, adds a personal touch to the story. Yuvraj mentored Sharma for years and holds the record for India's fastest T20I fifty, a 12-ball innings against England at the 2007 T20 World Cup. Earlier this year, Sharma came close to breaking his master's record with a 14-ball fifty against New Zealand.