Abhishek Sharma Smashes 30-Ball Century as Records Tumble in Delhi
Abhishek Sharma 30-Ball Century: 108 off 34 Breaks Rohit Sharma’s India Record
Abhishek Sharma produced one of the most explosive innings in Indian T20I history against Afghanistan in Delhi, smashing 108 runs from only 34 balls and completing his century in just 30 deliveries.
The left-handed opener’s hundred became the fastest T20I century by an Indian men’s batter, improving on Rohit Sharma’s famous 35-ball century against Sri Lanka in 2017.
Abhishek eventually finished with 108 off 34 balls, including nine fours and 11 sixes, at a strike rate of 317.64. He reached fifty from only 16 deliveries before needing another 14 balls to move from 50 to 100.
India eventually posted 221/7 before dismissing Afghanistan for 94. The 127-run victory completed India’s 3-0 T20I series sweep.
For Abhishek’s broader career numbers rather than this individual innings, see our Abhishek Sharma Stats: T20I Runs, Centuries, Strike Rate & Records page.
Abhishek Sharma 108 Scorecard vs Afghanistan
One of the clearest ways to understand the Abhishek Sharma 30-ball century is through the complete innings numbers.
| Scorecard Detail | Abhishek Sharma |
|---|---|
| Runs | 108 |
| Balls | 34 |
| Fours | 9 |
| Sixes | 11 |
| Strike Rate | 317.64 |
| Balls to Fifty | 16 |
| Balls to Century | 30 |
| Powerplay Runs | 76 off 22 balls |
| Opening Partnership | 142 with Sanju Samson |
| India Total | 221/7 |
| Afghanistan Total | 94 |
| Result | India won by 127 runs |
Abhishek collected 102 of his 108 runs through boundaries. His nine fours accounted for 36 runs and 11 sixes produced another 66.
Only six of his runs came without the ball reaching or clearing the boundary.
That helps explain how he was able to complete a T20I hundred in only 30 deliveries.
Abhishek Sharma Latest Score
Abhishek’s final innings of the Afghanistan T20I series was his biggest score of the three-match contest.
| Latest Innings Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Opponent | Afghanistan |
| Match | 3rd T20I |
| Runs | 108 |
| Balls | 34 |
| Strike Rate | 317.64 |
| Fours | 9 |
| Sixes | 11 |
| Result | India won by 127 runs |
Abhishek Sharma’s latest score in the Afghanistan series was therefore 108 off 34 balls.
It followed scores of 82 off 32 and 39 off 19 in the opening two matches, giving him three highly aggressive innings across the series.
Abhishek Sharma Breaks Rohit Sharma’s India Record
The biggest record of the night arrived when Abhishek reached three figures from his 30th delivery.
Rohit Sharma had previously set the Indian men’s benchmark with a 35-ball T20I hundred against Sri Lanka in Indore in 2017.
Abhishek reduced that mark by five deliveries.
| Batter | Balls to Century | Opposition |
|---|---|---|
| Abhishek Sharma | 30 | Afghanistan |
| Rohit Sharma | 35 | Sri Lanka |
| Abhishek Sharma | 37 | England |
The Afghanistan innings was not Abhishek’s first extremely quick international hundred.
He had already produced a 37-ball T20I century against England.
The Delhi innings took his acceleration to another level.
Was Abhishek Sharma’s 30-Ball Century in the IPL?
No. Abhishek Sharma’s 30-ball century was not scored in the IPL.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Was the 30-ball century in IPL? | No |
| Format | T20 International |
| Team | India |
| Opposition | Afghanistan |
| Balls to century | 30 |
| Final score | 108 off 34 |
This distinction is important because searches for Abhishek Sharma fastest century in IPL and 30 balls 100 runs in IPL can be confused with this innings.
The record discussed here belongs to T20 international cricket, not the Indian Premier League.
Where Does Abhishek Sharma’s 30-Ball Century Rank in T20Is?
Abhishek’s hundred was not only significant within Indian cricket. It also placed him among a very small group of men’s T20I batters to reach a hundred in 30 deliveries or fewer.
| Batter | Balls to Century | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Sahil Chauhan | 27 | Estonia |
| Muhammad Fahad | 29 | Turkey |
| Abhishek Sharma | 30 | India |
The performance carries additional significance because it came in an international against Afghanistan, a Full Member side.
For readers following the complete series rather than only Abhishek’s innings, our Afghanistan vs India T20I Series 2026 page covers the wider series.
16-Ball Fifty, Then 30-Ball Hundred
The progression of the innings was remarkable.
| Milestone | Balls |
|---|---|
| 50 runs | 16 |
| Next 50 runs | 14 |
| 100 runs | 30 |
| Final score | 108 off 34 |
Abhishek required only 16 deliveries to reach fifty.
Instead of slowing down as the hundred approached, he accelerated further.
His second fifty required only another 14 balls.
There was effectively no conventional consolidation phase between the two milestones.
For a batter approaching an international hundred, maintaining that level of risk and scoring speed is unusual. Abhishek continued attacking the Afghanistan bowlers even as the record approached.
Abhishek Sharma Scores 76 Runs in the Powerplay
Another extraordinary number from the Abhishek Sharma 30-ball century was his contribution during the opening six overs.
He scored:
76 runs from only 22 balls in the Powerplay
| Powerplay Stat | Abhishek |
|---|---|
| Runs | 76 |
| Balls | 22 |
| Runs per ball | 3.45 |
| Batting phase | First six overs |
A score of 76 would itself represent a strong six-over total for an entire T20 team.
Abhishek produced that number individually.
Afghanistan consequently had very little time to settle into their bowling plans.
11 Sixes and 20 Boundaries
Abhishek’s final boundary count shows how aggressively the innings was constructed.
| Boundary Type | Number | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Fours | 9 | 36 |
| Sixes | 11 | 66 |
| Total boundaries | 20 | 102 |
| Total score | — | 108 |
That means 20 of the 34 deliveries he faced resulted in boundaries.
His 11 sixes alone produced 66 runs.
Combined with nine fours, Abhishek scored 102 of his 108 runs in boundaries.
142-Run Opening Partnership With Sanju Samson
Abhishek was not India’s only productive opener.
Sanju Samson provided stability at the other end while Abhishek attacked.
| Opening Partnership | Figure |
|---|---|
| Abhishek Sharma | 108 off 34 |
| Sanju Samson | 50 off 35 |
| Partnership | 142 runs |
| Wicket | Opening wicket |
Samson’s innings followed his 57 off 22 balls in the second T20I.
The two openers had also shared an 88-run stand in the previous match, meaning India received consecutive productive opening partnerships.
Samson’s complete series performance is covered separately in Sanju Samson Stats vs Afghanistan.
That keeps this article focused specifically on Abhishek’s record-breaking century.
Abhishek Sharma Scores in Afghanistan Series
The 108 was the biggest innings of Abhishek’s series, but it was not his only major contribution.
| Match | Abhishek Sharma |
|---|---|
| 1st T20I | 82 off 32 |
| 2nd T20I | 39 off 19 |
| 3rd T20I | 108 off 34 |
| Series total | 229 runs |
| Balls faced | 85 |
| Series strike rate | 269.41 |
Abhishek accumulated 229 runs from only 85 balls across the three innings.
Even his lowest score of the series—39—came from only 19 deliveries.
That matters because the 30-ball century was not an isolated burst surrounded by quiet performances.
His scoring rate caused problems for Afghanistan throughout the series.
Abhishek Sharma’s Scores Match by Match
| Match | Runs | Balls | Runs per Ball |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | 82 | 32 | 2.56 |
| 2nd T20I | 39 | 19 | 2.05 |
| 3rd T20I | 108 | 34 | 3.18 |
| Total | 229 | 85 | 2.69 |
The final innings was both his highest score and his quickest scoring performance of the series.
India’s complete match and series context can be followed through India vs Afghanistan Head-to-Head in T20I.
How Many T20I Centuries Does Abhishek Sharma Have?
The Afghanistan hundred was the third T20I century of Abhishek Sharma’s international career.
| Abhishek Sharma Century Record | Number |
|---|---|
| T20I centuries | 3 |
| Latest T20I century | 108 vs Afghanistan |
| Balls to latest hundred | 30 |
| Previous rapid hundred | 37 balls vs England |
The important distinction here is T20I centuries.
Readers looking for Abhishek’s complete career numbers across formats should use the dedicated Abhishek Sharma career stats and records page rather than treating this single-innings article as his full career record.
Abhishek Sharma 30-Ball Century vs Previous Fast Hundred
Two of Abhishek’s international hundreds have now come at exceptional speed.
| Innings | Balls to 100 |
|---|---|
| vs Afghanistan | 30 |
| vs England | 37 |
| Difference | 7 balls faster |
Against Afghanistan, Abhishek improved substantially even on his own previous rapid century.
The difference between a 37-ball and 30-ball hundred is significant in T20 cricket.
Seven deliveries represent more than an entire over.
India Post 221/7
The opening partnership established the platform for India’s 221/7.
| India Innings Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Abhishek Sharma | 108 off 34 |
| Sanju Samson | 50 off 35 |
| Opening stand | 142 |
| India total | 221/7 |
| Afghanistan target | 222 |
India could not sustain the extraordinary scoring rate of the opening phase throughout all 20 overs, but Abhishek and Samson had already created a substantial platform.
Afghanistan therefore required more than 11 runs per over from the start of their chase.
Afghanistan Bowled Out for 94
India’s bowlers ensured the target was never seriously threatened.
| Match Result | Score |
|---|---|
| India | 221/7 |
| Afghanistan | 94 all out |
| Winning margin | 127 runs |
| Series result | India won 3-0 |
Afghanistan were dismissed for 94, giving India a 127-run victory.
The result also completed a 3-0 series sweep.
That context adds value to Abhishek’s century because the innings was not simply an individual record in isolation. It provided the foundation for India’s match-winning total.
Why Abhishek Sharma’s 30-Ball Century Was Special
The complete innings can be condensed into one table.
| Record/Performance | Number |
|---|---|
| Runs | 108 |
| Balls | 34 |
| Century | 30 balls |
| Fifty | 16 balls |
| Strike rate | 317.64 |
| Fours | 9 |
| Sixes | 11 |
| Boundaries | 20 |
| Boundary runs | 102 |
| Powerplay runs | 76 off 22 |
| Opening partnership | 142 |
| India total | 221/7 |
| Winning margin | 127 runs |
The record is therefore about much more than the number 30.
Abhishek combined an exceptionally fast hundred with a 16-ball fifty, 11 sixes, 76 Powerplay runs and a century opening partnership.
Abhishek Sharma 108 Runs – Quick Answers
| Search Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How many runs did Abhishek Sharma score? | 108 |
| How many balls did he face? | 34 |
| In how many balls did he reach 100? | 30 |
| How quickly did he reach 50? | 16 balls |
| Who was the opponent? | Afghanistan |
| Was the century in IPL? | No |
| Which format was it? | T20I |
| How many fours? | 9 |
| How many sixes? | 11 |
| Strike rate? | 317.64 |
| India’s score? | 221/7 |
| Match result? | India won by 127 runs |
| Series result? | India won 3-0 |
| T20I centuries after this innings | 3 |
This section directly answers several common searches around Abhishek Sharma’s 108 scorecard, latest score, 30-ball hundred and century record.
What the Innings Means for Abhishek Sharma
The most interesting aspect of the performance may be the way Abhishek converted his start.
He did not reach fifty rapidly and then dramatically slow down.
He reached fifty from 16 balls and needed only 14 more deliveries to complete the hundred.
| Phase | Runs | Balls |
|---|---|---|
| Start to 50 | 50 | 16 |
| 50 to 100 | 50 | 14 |
| 100 to dismissal | 8 | 4 |
| Complete innings | 108 | 34 |
That ability to continue accelerating after an explosive start is what separated this innings from an ordinary quick fifty.
For more individual player records and career pages, readers can also explore Players Stats.
Abhishek Sharma 30-Ball Century: Final Numbers
Abhishek Sharma’s innings against Afghanistan will be remembered primarily for one number: 30 balls.
That was all he needed to complete his century.
But his complete scorecard was even more striking:
| Final Numbers | Abhishek Sharma |
|---|---|
| Runs | 108 |
| Balls | 34 |
| Strike Rate | 317.64 |
| Fours | 9 |
| Sixes | 11 |
| Century balls | 30 |
| Fifty balls | 16 |
He surpassed Rohit Sharma‘s Indian men’s T20I century benchmark, dominated the Powerplay and shared a 142-run opening partnership with Sanju Samson.
India converted that start into 221/7 before dismissing Afghanistan for 94 and completing the series sweep.
For broader coverage of India’s series, read Afghanistan vs India T20I Series 2026. For Abhishek’s complete career numbers rather than only this innings, continue to Abhishek Sharma Stats.
Official international cricket information is available from ICC and BCCI, while TeamStats’ wider player database is available through Players Stats.
