Abhishek’s 30-ball ton lights up dead rubber as India seal series sweep

• Abhishek Sharma smashes a 30-ball century as India beat Afghanistan by 127 runs to sweep the T20I series 3-0

• India post 221/7, with Abhishek scoring 108 off 34 balls and Sanju Samson adding 50

• Afghanistan collapse for 94 in 14.1 overs as Nitish Reddy takes three wickets; both teams now head to the Asian Games

Abhishek Sharma turned a dead rubber into a spectacle, smashing a breathtaking 30-ball century as India stormed to a 127-run victory over Afghanistan in the third and final T20I on Thursday to complete a 3-0 series sweep.

Sent in to bat after Afghanistan opted to field, India rode on Abhishek’s astonishing 108 off just 34 balls, including 11 sixes, to post 221 for seven. Afghanistan’s batting woes continued in the chase as they were bowled out for 94 in 14.1 overs.

The two teams now head to the Asian Games.

Abhishek’s assault began almost immediately, as he tore into both Afghanistan’s pace attack and spinners. Azmat Omarzai conceded 17 runs in the second over, while Fazalhaq Farooqi went for 23 in the third. Afghanistan skipper Ibrahim Zadran’s decision to introduce spin early in the powerplay also failed to halt the onslaught.

India raced to 100 without loss in the first six overs — their highest powerplay total in T20 cricket. Abhishek reached his half-century in just 16 balls before completing his century in the ninth over.

He brought up the landmark with a rare single after reaching 99 with a fierce pull off Abdullah Ahmadzai, then celebrated by sitting in a meditation pose as the crowd rose to its feet.

The 30-ball hundred was the fastest by an Indian in men’s T20Is, surpassing Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball century from 2017. It was also the fastest T20I hundred by a player from a Test-playing nation against another Test-playing nation, eclipsing New Zealand’s Finn Allen’s 33-ball effort against South Africa earlier this year.

Abhishek’s 11 sixes came in a variety of spectacular strokes, with several soaring straight over the bowler’s head. He repeatedly made room to unleash inside-out shots while also standing still and launching deliveries down the ground.

At the other end, Sanju Samson produced another fluent innings, scoring 50 off 35 balls for his second consecutive fifty-plus score. He survived a scare when he was dropped on 22 at mid-off by Zadran, before finding his rhythm with a pair of straight sixes off Mohammad Nabi.

The Nabi over yielded 29 runs after Abhishek also cleared the boundary twice, underlining India’s dominance during the powerplay.

Afghanistan had few answers to India’s onslaught, but managed to restrict the hosts to 37 runs in the final five overs while taking four wickets.

Their chase never gathered momentum. Nitish Reddy was handed the opening over and conceded 15 runs, but returned later to claim three wickets. Axar Patel removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 15 off 11 and Sediqullah Atal for one in the powerplay, both falling to slog sweeps.

Jasprit Bumrah then produced a crushing yorker to dismiss Darwish Rasooli, while Yash Thakur accounted for Ibrahim Zadran in the sixth over, leaving Afghanistan reeling at 47 for four.

From there, the chase unravelled rapidly and Afghanistan were eventually dismissed for 94 in 14.1 overs.

With India having already sealed the series, Abhishek’s explosive innings supplied the drama the final match needed, while Afghanistan once again struggled to challenge India with the bat. Both sides now turn their attention to the Asian Games.

With PTI inputs