In a thrilling Super Fours clash at the Asia Cup in Dubai, India’s Abhishek Sharma stole the spotlight with a record-breaking performance, powering the team to a six-wicket victory over Pakistan on Sunday. Chasing 172, Sharma smashed his way to a quickfire 74 off 39 balls, including five massive sixes and six fours, as India reached the target with ease.
The 25-year-old opener wasted no time, sending the first ball he faced soaring over the boundary with a top-edged six—his second time pulling off that feat in T20Is. He followed it up in the fourth over by launching spinner Abrar Ahmed’s delivery into the stands at deep mid-wicket. But Sharma’s biggest achievement came off the field: he reached 50 T20I sixes in just 331 balls, shattering the record for the fewest deliveries among full-member teams. That edges out West Indies’ Evin Lewis, who needed 366 balls. Among Indian players, only captain Suryakumar Yadav comes close, hitting the mark in 510 deliveries.
This time, Sharma turned his explosive start into something special. Lady Luck smiled on him early, and he capitalized, racing to his half-century in just 24 balls. He celebrated with a playful kiss blown to the crowd and an “L” sign for the losers. Even after his milestone, Sharma kept the pressure on Pakistan’s bowlers, keeping India firmly in control. His innings ended when he miscued a shot to pacer Haris Rauf, but by then, the damage was done.
While Sharma lit up the batting, all-rounder Hardik Pandya made waves with the ball, climbing the ranks in India’s T20I records. In his three-over spell, he claimed 1-29 and overtook Yuzvendra Chahal to become India’s second-highest T20I wicket-taker with 97 scalps in 118 matches. He’s now just three wickets shy of joining Arshdeep Singh as the second Indian to hit the 100-wicket milestone in T20Is.
Pandya also grabbed the top spot for India in T20 Asia Cup history, surpassing Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 13 wickets with his own tally of 14. That puts him level with Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga as the tournament’s joint-leading bowler. Against Pakistan specifically, Pandya shines brightest—he’s snared 15 wickets in eight T20I innings, the most in this fierce rivalry, and he’s never bowled a wicketless spell against them.
India’s dominant display keeps their Asia Cup hopes alive, with Sharma’s T20I sixes record and Pandya’s bowling feats adding extra buzz to the campaign.
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