Opener Abhishek Sharma became the sixth Indian to reach 2,000 T20I runs during the third T20I against West Indies in Indore. He scored a fiery 69 off 30 balls, joining an elite club that includes Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Abhishek Sharma Joins Elite 2,000 T20I Run Club
Opener Abhishek Sharma became the sixth Indian to reach 2,000 T20I runs during the third T20I against West Indies in Indore on Sunday. At Holkar Stadium in Indore, Abhishek scored 69 in 30 balls, with six fours and five sixes, striking at 230.00.
In 65 T20Is and 64 innings, Abhishek has scored 2,036 runs at an average of 32.83 and a strike rate of 195.95, with three centuries and 14 fifties and a best score of 135*. The other five members of India's 2,000-run club are: Rohit Sharma (4,231 runs), Virat Kohli (4,188 runs), Suryakumar Yadav (3,272 runs), Hardik Pandya (2,288 runs) and KL Rahul (2,265 runs).
A Record-Breaking Calendar Year
This year continues to be highly productive for Abhishek despite some hiccups, having made 921 runs in 32 matches and innings at an average of 29.70 and a strike rate of 206.50, with a century and eight fifties, with his 108 being the fastest T20I century by a batter from a Test-playing nation. Abhishek has smacked 68 sixes this year, tying with India's T20 World Cup-winning skipper Suryakumar Yadav for joint-most sixes in T20Is during a calendar year. However, his balls-per-six ratio of 6.55 is much higher than Surya's 9.13.
Match Highlights and Team Lineups
Today was the seventh instance that Abhishek went past 50 within the first six overs of a T20I. No one else has done that more than twice, he reached his half-century in just 18 balls.
Coming to the match, India was put to field first. After losing Sanju Samson earlier for just three, Abhishek and Ishan Kishan (37 in 18 balls, with six fours and a six) put on an entertaining 108-run stand for the second wicket, but a comeback from WI bowlers left India at 125/4 at the halfway mark.
Playing XIs
Teams: West Indies (Playing XI): Shai Hope(w/c), Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Keemo Paul, Roston Chase, Shamar Springer, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav.
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