Abhishek Sharma’s 30-Ball T20I Century, Explained

Abhishek Sharma has made a record that needs one important qualifier: it is a T20I record.

In the third T20I against Afghanistan on 17 September 2026, Sharma scored 108 runs from 34 balls. He reached his century in 30 balls, which the ICC records as the fastest T20I century by an Indian batter and the third-fastest men’s T20I century overall.

Was it the fastest century in T20?

The defensible answer is narrower: the fastest T20I century by an Indian batter. “T20” can refer to domestic, franchise or international matches, while the confirmed record here belongs specifically to men’s T20I cricket.

That distinction matters. The 30-ball figure is the number of deliveries Sharma needed to reach 100; it is not the number of balls faced in the complete innings. His final score was 108 off 34 balls.

What made the innings stand out?

The innings combined an unusually quick start with enough power to carry the milestone. The ICC report records Sharma’s first fifty in 16 balls and his century in 30. The Mumbai Indians match report lists nine fours, 11 sixes and a strike rate of 317.65.

India finished on 221/7 and won the match by 127 runs, completing a 3–0 series victory. BCCI’s published schedule had placed the three Afghanistan T20Is on 13, 15 and 17 September 2026 at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, giving the record a clear match context rather than leaving it as an isolated number.

What is the accurate takeaway?

The useful version is not simply “Abhishek Sharma hit the fastest century in T20”. It is: he made 108 off 34 balls against Afghanistan, completing a 30-ball century that became India’s fastest men’s T20I hundred.

Format first, milestone speed second, full-innings figures third. Keeping those three details together prevents the record from becoming a misleading headline.