Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Image credit: BCCI)
NEW DELHI: The six-hitting battle between Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has taken an interesting turn in 2026. Abhishek has now moved 10 sixes ahead of Sooryavanshi, with the India opener hitting 96 sixes in all T20 cricket this year compared to the youngster’s 86. Abhishek added 11 more sixes to his tally on Thursday, smashing 108 off just 34 balls against Afghanistan in the third and final T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. His breathtaking knock included a 30-ball century, the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian batter. Abhishek leads Sooryavanshi in six-hitting Abhishek’s 96 sixes in 2026 are the second-most by an Indian batter in a calendar year in all T20s. His own record stands at 108 sixes, which he hit in 2025. He also hit 87 sixes in 2024. Sooryavanshi’s 86 sixes in 2026 are currently fourth on the list. Sixes Batter Year Balls per six 108 Abhishek Sharma 2025 7.35 96 Abhishek Sharma 2026 6.64 87 Abhishek Sharma 2024 6.54 86 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 2026 4.99 85 Suryakumar Yadav 2022 10.05 While Abhishek has hit more sixes overall in 2026, Sooryavanshi has cleared the boundary more frequently, hitting one six every 4.99 balls compared to Abhishek’s 6.64. He smashed 108 off just 34 balls, hitting 11 sixes and nine fours. Sanju Samson also played his part, scoring a fluent 50 off 35 balls for his second successive fifty-plus score. He reached 99 with a powerful pull off Abdullah Ahmadzai before taking a single to bring up his hundred.
It was also the fastest century by a batter from a Full Member nation against another Full Member nation. Abhishek produced another power-hitting masterclass against Afghanistan. It was his third century in T20Is. It was India’s highest score in the powerplay in T20Is. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines With both India openers in good form, Sooryavanshi has not got an opportunity in the playing XI in the series. Abhishek completed his century in the ninth over.
Most sixes by an Indian batter in a T20I innings
He brought up his fifty off just 16 balls before completing his century off 30 balls. Abhishek’s 30-ball century was the fastest T20I hundred by a batter from a Full Member nation. He went past the previous mark of 33 balls, jointly held by Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza and New Zealand’s Finn Allen. Balls Batter Match Venue Year 30 Abhishek Sharma (India) India vs Afghanistan Delhi 2026 33 Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) Zimbabwe vs Gambia Nairobi (Ruaraka) 2024 33 Finn Allen (New Zealand) New Zealand vs South Africa Kolkata 2026 35 David Miller (South Africa) South Africa vs Bangladesh Potchefstroom 2017 35 Rohit Sharma (India) India vs Sri Lanka Indore 2017 Abhishek also broke former India captain Rohit Sharma’s record for the fastest T20I century by an Indian. Rohit had scored his century off 35 balls against Sri Lanka in Indore in 2017. Abhishek’s 11 sixes against Afghanistan also put him second on the list of most sixes by an Indian batter in a T20I innings. He is behind only his own record of 13 sixes, which he hit against England in Mumbai in 2025. Sixes Batter Opponent Venue Year 13 Abhishek Sharma England Mumbai WS 2025 11 Abhishek Sharma Afghanistan Delhi 2026 10 Rohit Sharma Sri Lanka Indore 2017 10 Sanju Samson South Africa Durban 2024 10 Tilak Varma South Africa Johannesburg 2024 10 Ishan Kishan New Zealand Thiruvananthapuram 2026 Abhishek’s six-hitting helped India race to 100 for no loss in the first six overs. India eventually finished on 221 for seven. Afghanistan restricted India to 37 runs in the final five overs and picked up four wickets during that period.
Most of his sixes went straight over the bowler’s head. He attacked both pace and spin and kept finding the boundary throughout his innings. With India batting first for the first time in the series, Abhishek made full use of the opportunity. It was also the fastest century by a batter from a Full Member nation against another Full Member nation. He then removed his helmet, sat on the ground and celebrated with a meditation pose as the Delhi crowd applauded the special innings. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.