Opener Abhishek Sharma wields the magic wand as India breeze to mammoth 150-run win in the last T20I of the series. India 247/9 in 20 overs, England 97 in 10.3
The southpaw’s incredible knock of 135 in 54 balls, the highest individual score by an Indian in the format surpassing Shubman Gill’s 126* against New Zealand in 2023, swept the visitors off their feet, and broke records aplenty
He scored 38 more runs than England’s collective total
Abhishek’s 135 is also the second-highest score by any batter against England, behind only Aaron Finch’s 156 in 2013
His century of 37 balls, is the second-fastest for India, just behind Rohit Sharma who took 35 balls to reach the three-figure mark against Sri Lanka in 2017, and the eighth-fastest in men’s T20Is
The 13 sixes he hit are the most by an Indian in a single T20I inning. Rohit Sharma hit 10 against Sri Lanka in 2017, so did Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma against South Africa in 2024
Racing to his 50 in 17 balls places him as second fastest to the mark behind his mentor, the great Yuvraj Singh who recorded a 12-ball fifty against England in 2007
The 150-run margin of victory at the Wankhede in Mumbai on Sunday is India’s second highest margin of win in men’s T20Is, after the 168-run win they registered against New Zealand in the 3rd T20I at Ahmedabad in 2023
It is also England biggest margin of defeat by runs in T20Is, the previous biggest being 90 runs, also against India in 2012
India’s total of 247 is the second highest by any team against England in men’s T20Is, just one run behind the 248 for 6 posted by Australia in Southampton in 2013
England bowlers were hit for 19 sixes on Sunday, the most they have conceded in a men’s T20Is
The 247-run total was the highest ever by any team in T20Is at the Wankhede
India also registered their highest powerplay score ever of 95-1
Abhishek, by far the standout performer of the match, with 135 runs, two wickets and a catch to his kitty, won the Player of the Match award
Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy was awarded the Player of the Series Award for finishing the series with the highest No. of 14 wickets
With an aggregate of 279 runs, Abhishek Sharma emerged as the highest run getter of the series
The focus now shifts to the longer format of white ball cricket as the two teams prepare for a thrilling 3-match ODI series, starting from Nagpur on February 6, in the runup to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and Dubai later in the month
The arrival of all-time great Joe Root in Mumbai for the series will give England some heart, and they would thankfully not have to face Abhishek Sharma, who is not in the Indian one-day squad
There cannot be a greater honour for any batter to be congratulated by each member of the opposition team and receiving a standing ovation from the crowd on being dismissed. The fearless and relentless Indian opener Abhishek Sharma just lived that memorable moment in the 5th and final T20Is match against England at the Wankhede in Mumbai on Sunday.
The 24-year-old left-hander played a magical innings of 135 runs in 54 balls and powering India to a massive total of 247-9, which eventually sank England to a 150-run defeat, their biggest by run-margin in T20Is, and a 1-4 series loss.
The greatest quality of Abhishek’s power-hitting masterclass was that all his strokes were proper cricketing shots. There wasn’t a single false stroke in his innings, that was the perfection in his shots. It was as if every time he could read the bowler’s mind and would be ready with an aggressive response.
The fours and sixes seamlessly flowed from his bat, leaving the England pace battery and the spinners clueless. Even when he had to reach out to the ball a couple of times, his one-handed shots easily cleared the fence.
He raced to his 50 in 17 balls and to his 100 in 37. By the time he finally departed of the bowling of Adil Rashid, holding out in the deep, he had hammered the England bowlers for 7x4s and 13x6s. His strike rate an astounding 250. It was the last ball of the 18th over and India’s total reading 237-7. Though only 10 runs came of the remaining two overs, England were apparently left with a sinking feeling.
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England’s bravado
Though they tried to make a match of it with opener Phil Salt plundering Mohd. Shami for 17 runs in his first over, the only time they were ahead of India in the run chase, the task was too daunting, and panic was a natural outcome with the pressure of maintaining a run rate over 12 an over.
Salt remained the lone warrior in the side, as the England innings collapsed around him like a pack of cards and India bowlers exerting their dominance. Only one other batter, left-handed Jacob Bethell at No. 6 reached double figures (10).
Continuing with his aggressive posture Salt raced to his half century in no time. But when he departed first ball to change bowler Shivam Dube, edging a widish ball to Dhruv Jurel, substituting for injured Sanju Samson, behind the stumps, in the 8th over and the total reading 82-5, England began to count their last breaths. THE END came just 20 balls later.
Shami, playing his second match of the series, and returning to the side after a one match gap, replacing Arshdeep Singh, finished with 3-25 in 2.3 overs with two wickets coming of his last two consecutive deliveries. Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Dube and Abhishek Sharma claimed two wickets each and Ravi Bishnoi one. Axar Patel did not get a bowl.
Earlier, England skipper Jos Buttler, winning the toss for the second consecutive time after losing the first three, chose to again bowl first.
India’s innings
Sanju Samson, who had fallen each time in the series trying to negotiate the short ball, appeared to make some adjustments in his batting style. Preferring to play inside the line he smashed Jofra Archer for two sixes and a four in the first over of the innings. In between he also got a nasty cut on the finger to a rising delivery and had to be attended to by the team doctor.
But next over, without adding to his total, he made the same typical mistake the first ball he faced of Mark Wood’s short length delivery. His mistimed pull failed to clear the fence and instead found a waiting Archer at deep square leg. He made 16.
Tilak Varma, who came in next, also showed aggressive intent, hitting three boundaries and a six before becoming pacer Brydon Carse’s first victim, edging a short ball to Salt behind the stumps. His contribution 24 of 15 balls.
Carse was the only exception to the otherwise one-dimensional pace attack which concentrated heavily on speed and bounce. Showing great situational awareness, with the ball being hit around all over the park, Carse brought some sanity to the bowling, deploying the entire repertoire of variations, and to good effect.
He remained the highest wicket-taker with three to his credit. Mark Wood took two. Both conceded far less runs compared to others, including spinners Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone.
Captain good, batter flop
With Abhishek Sharma going great guns at the other end, captain Suryakumar Yadav, extending his disastrous batting performance, again fell to the same shot which over the years has been his most productive asset, a high flick off the pads over deep square leg.
He became Carse’s second kill, a thickish edge sending the ball straight up to be lapped up by wicketkeeper Salt running a fair distance to his left and judging the difficult apparently swirling catch to perfection. He made just two runs of three balls, inching his series total to a miserable 28.
Shivam Dube appeared to resume his top form from the previous match but departed after a quickfire 30 (13 balls, 3x4s, 2x6s). This was Carse’s last of three wickets in the 14th over of the innings with India’s total reading 182-4.
Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh contributed 9 runs apiece, both having faced 6 balls each. Axar Patel (15 of 11 balls, 2x4s) perished on the penultimate ball of the innings, attempting a suicidal second run to keep strike. Ravi Bishnoi was out first ball mishitting a full toss from Jamie Overton straight up to be caught by Carse.
In his post-match comments, England captain Jos Buttler was all praise for Abhishek Sharma knock: “I’ve seen quite a lot of cricket and that was as good as I’ve seen in T20s.”
Alistair Cook not impressed
In his comments, ex-England captain Sir Alastair Cook has been reported as saying: “I think England were surprised by the onslaught (Abhishek Sharma’s) and just couldn’t think calmly enough to react. I’m not saying they could’ve bowled them out for 170 or 180, but I don’t think they quite reacted.
I don’t think their policy of pace on all the time on these wickets quite works.
Just whacking the ball down at 150 kph, I don’t think, is good enough against these (Indian) players.”
Steven Finn points out misconception
On the other hand, former England pace bowler Steven Finn has been reported as saying: “It was predictable [bowling] from England. Bowling round the wicket to left-handers is a misconception that is cramps batters. It opens both sides of the wicket.
Bowling at Abhishek’s hip from over the wicket with fielders on the leg side in hindsight was the way to bowl to him.”
Highest individual T20I scores for India
Abhishek Sharma 135 of 54 balls Vs England, Mumbai, 2025
Shubman Gill 126* of 63 balls Vs NZ, Ahmedabad, 2023
Ruturaj Gaikwad 123* of 57 balls Vs Australia, Guwahati, 2023
Most Wickets in a T20I series between full ICC members
15 – Jason Holder vs England, 2022
14 – Varun Chakravarthy vs England, 2025
13 – Ish Sodhi vs Australia, 2021
