Young opener Abhishek Sharma stole the show with a blistering 79 off 34 balls as Team India cruised to a seven-wicket victory over England in the first T20I at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Wednesday, January 22. The southpaw’s heroics powered India to chase down 133 in just 12.5 overs, giving them a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
After opting to bowl, the hosts bowled out England for 132, with leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy taking 3-23, while Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya, and Axar Patel chipped in with two wickets each.
Abhishek and Sanju Samson (26 off 20) put on a brisk 41-run opening stand in 4.2 overs. Despite a brief wobble with the quick dismissals of Samson and Suryakumar Yadav (0) by Jofra Archer, Abhishek’s explosive knock of five fours and eight sixes powered India to a commanding victory.
Abhishek Sharma’s explosive knock not only secured a memorable win for India but also saw him surpass his mentor Yuvraj Singh by smashing eight sixes in the innings. He now holds the record for the most sixes hit by an Indian batter in a T20I against England.
Additionally, the 24-year-old has set the record for the most sixes in an India-England T20I match. Yuvraj had previously hit seven sixes during his iconic 16-ball 58 against England in the 2007 T20 World Cup, including the famous six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad.
Three England batters—Eoin Morgan (2014), Jason Roy (2018), and Alex Hales (2022)—have also managed seven sixes in a T20I against India, while Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav struck six sixes against England in Nottingham in 2022.
“Focused on Expressing Myself, but Credit to Captain and Coach”: Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek reflected on his knock, stating that his goal was to express himself on the field. He also credited captain Suryakumar and coach Gautam Gambhir for fostering an environment that gives youngsters the freedom to play their natural game.
“I wanted to express myself, but special mention to captain (Suryakumar Yadav) and coach (Gambhir), the freedom they have given us as youngsters is tremendous. Never seen an environment like this, express yourself, hit your shots, even from the first ball.” the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter said, as quoted by PTI.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
