Australia vs India 2nd T20I: Abhishek Sharma continued his red-hot form with a blistering knock against Australia in the second T20I, surpassing Mohammad Rizwan to claim a major T20I batting milestone. His explosive innings once again highlighted why he’s fast becoming one of India’s most dependable young match-winners. (Image Credit X/Cricbuzz)
Australia vs India 2nd T20I: Abhishek Sharma stood tall amidst chaos on a spicy and testing Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) surface as India went off the blocks against Australia in the second T20I. The young southpaw's breathtaking 37-ball 68 was the lone bright spot for India in an otherwise forgettable batting display.
While India succumbed to a four-wicket defeat, Abhishek's innings was not just one demonstrating his maturity under pressure, but it also helped him overtake Mohammad Rizwan on the T20I batting list for most sixes in a calendar year by a full-member nation player.
Counter-punching with fearless stroke play, Abhishek Sharma took full advantage when the rest of India's batting order struggled to negotiate Josh Hazlewood's relentless line and length. He cracked eight fours and two sixes, blending timing with aggression as he brought up a classy half-century.
The fact that Abhishek was able to find his boundaries even on a two-paced pitch reflected the confidence he has carried since the Asia Cup 2025, where he was among India's most consistent performers.
While wickets kept falling around him, Abhishek kept his cool as India at least posted a competitive total.
However, with minimum support other than the gritty 35 by Harshit Rana, his efforts were insufficient to take India past 125.
Australia’s bowling, led by Josh Hazlewood, made life tough for India’s top order. Hazlewood bowled four consecutive overs upfront, returning with figures of 3/20, which essentially derailed India’s innings early on. The Men in Blue never recovered, despite Abhishek’s lone resistance.
In response, Mitchell Marsh with a quick 46 off 26 balls led Australia's chase as the visitors won comfortably. India's late strikes added cosmetic respectability to the scorecard, but it did little to change the result.
Abhishek's second T20I knock of the series was one for the history books. His two maximums in the innings took his overall tally to 43 sixes in 2025, going past Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan's 42 in 2021.
Most Sixes in T20Is in a Year (Full-Member Nations):
This milestone underlines Abhishek's explosive evolution as one of India's most dependable T20 power hitters in recent times.
