ICC top-ranked batter hits 16 sixes, equals Gayle, Pant, Yuvraj en route to 52-ball 148 in Indian domestic T20

Punjab amassed 310-5 in their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy game against Bengal after Abhishek won the toss and opted to bat. Opening batting with Prabhsimran Singh, Abhishek led the charge himself, taking only 12 balls to reach his fifty and 32 to get to his hundred.

Prabhsimran looked slow in comparison: his half-century needed 24 balls. By the time Pradipta Pramanik got him for a 35-ball 70 (eight fours, four sixes), the pair had put on 205 in a mere 12.3 overs.

Abhishek continued with the onslaught before Akash Deep dismissed him for a 52-ball 148 (the second-highest individual score by an Indian in men’s T20s) with eight fours and 16 sixes. Ramandeep Singh (39 in 15 balls) and Sanvir Singh (22 in 9) took Punjab past 300, a remarkable feat against international bowlers like Mohammed Shami, Akash, and Shahbaz Ahmed.

Abhishek’s 12-ball fifty is now the third-fastest in men’s T20 history, after Dipendra Singh Airee (9 balls) and Ashutosh Sharma (11).

Fastest men’s T20 fifties

Abhishek’s 32-ball fifty is the joint seventh-fastest in men’s T20 history. Abhishek himself has a quicker hundred, off only 28 balls.

Fastest men’s T20 hundreds

Among Indians, only Tilak Varma has a higher individual score than Abhishek’s 148. The world record lies with Chris Gayle (175 not out).

Highest scores in men’s T20s by Indians

Abhishek’s 16 sixes are now the joint sixth-most in men’s T20s. Finn Allen (19) holds the world record, while only Punit Bisht (17) has hit more among Indians.

Most sixes in a men’s T20 innings

The 205-run opening stand between Abhishek and Prabhsimran is the third-highest where both batters are Indians. The list excludes the unbroken 210 between Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul in the 2022 IPL.

Highest opening stands in men’s T20s where both batters are Indians