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The 25-year-old left-handed opener broke his mentor Yuvraj Singh’s long-standing T20I record and equaled Virat Kohli’s unique achievement.
The match, played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, was a memorable one for India, as Abhishek smashed 75 runs off just 37 balls.
Abhishek’s slow start led to a powerful counterattack
Abhishek had a sluggish start in the match. The Bangladesh bowlers kept him on a tight line, and he was unable to find his right shot in the initial overs. But this didn’t last long.
Soon, Abhishek began to display his aggressive style. He thrashed the Bangladeshi bowlers with such force that even the fielders were stunned. He reached his half-century in just 25 balls, including six fours and five sixes.
It looked like his third T20I century was on the horizon, but he was run out on the first ball of the 12th over.
A mix-up occurred with Suryakumar Yadav, and Riyaz Hussain ran him out with some brilliant fielding. Nevertheless, this 75-run innings was remarkable.
A barrage of records: Surpasses Yuvraj, equals Kohli
With this innings, Abhishek broke the record for most T20I half-centuries scored in 25 or fewer balls. He now has five such fifties, while Yuvraj had four.
Suryakumar Yadav tops the list with seven, followed by Rohit Sharma at six, and Abhishek is third at five.
This was his 22nd T20I match, far short of Yuvraj’s 58. He also equaled Virat Kohli by scoring two consecutive half-centuries in the Asia Cup.
He became the second Indian opener, after Kohli, to score more than 200 runs in the entire tournament. Among Indian openers, he has the most fifties at a 200+ average (5), followed by Rohit with 4.
Abhishek’s form is strengthening Team India. Breaking the record of a legend like Yuvraj Singh isn’t easy, but this young star is proving he’ll be a big name in the future.