Abhishek Sharma Shatters Another Six-Hitting Record Despite Flop Show In 3rd T20I

Abhishek Sharma Hits His Way Past Every Indian Batter [Source: AFP]

In a significant milestone, India’s young opener Abhishek Sharma left behind legends like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma by hitting a towering six against England in the third T20I held at Nottingham. 

India took on England in the third T20I at Trent Bridge. The hosts batted first and posted a mega total of 201 runs on the board. Phil Salt led the charge with 70 off 44 balls while Sam Curran contributed with 41 off 24 balls. 

Abhishek Sharma scripts elite six-hitting record

Meanwhile, in the chase, Abhishek Sharma walked out to open the innings with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Sharma appeared in good touch as he smacked Josh Tongue for a towering six. 

Tongue bowled a full toss, and Abhishek punished him by opening the face of his bat to smoke a long six over deep point. Interestingly, that marked Sharma’s 28th six against England, which is the record for most sixes hit by an Indian player against the English side in T20Is.

Previously, this record belonged to Hardik Pandya, who had hit 27 sixes against England. Interestingly, this list also features legends like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Most 6s v England in T20Is by an Indian player

• 28 - 𝗔𝗯𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗸 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮
• 27 - Hardik Pandya 
• 19 - Virat Kohli 
• 18 - Rohit Sharma 
• 18 - Suryakumar Yadav

Hence, leading such an elite record list in his short career span is indeed a huge deal for Abhishek Sharma. From here, the sky is the limit for him only if he is consistent enough to sustain the demands of T20 cricket.

Also Read - MS Dhoni Flies To Trent Bridge To Watch Vaibhav Sooryavanshi In Act On His 45th Birthday

Abhishek Sharma was dismissed early

Meanwhile, shortly after scripting the six-hitting record, Abhishek Sharma gifted his wicket away to England. Josh Tongue had the last laugh as he bowled a back-of-the-length fast delivery at 143 km/h.

The ball bounced higher than Abhishek expected because of the extra pace and lift. The Indian opener stayed on the back foot and tried to hit the ball over extra cover for a boundary. 

But the extra bounce meant he couldn't get on top of the ball. Instead of timing it cleanly, he sliced it off the outside part of the bat. The ball flew high towards the deep point region, where Phil Salt ran in and completed a comfortable catch. 

As a result, Abhishek Sharma walked back on 10 off 7 balls, thus wasting a good start when India needed him to bat deep in a tough chase.

India is losing the plot in Nottingham

After Abhishek Sharma’s dismissal, things went from bad to worse for Team India at Nottingham. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was undone by Jofra Archer after hitting two sixes. 

Both openers were back in the hut with 29 runs on the board. India's troubles further deepened as Ishan Kishan (13 off 9) fell to Tongue, while captain Shreyas Iyer managed only 5 off 4 before becoming Archer's second victim.

Jofra Archer struck again in the final over of the powerplay, dismissing Axar Patel for a quickfire 10 off 4, reducing India to 52/5 inside the first six overs. With the required run rate soaring to 10.33, India is standing on the cusp of its second straight defeat against England.

Also Read - Watch - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Gives An Angry Stare To England Team After Falling In Jofra Archer's Trap