Abhishek Sharma Shatters Suryakumar Yadav's World Record, Becomes Fastest to 2,000 T20I Runs

Published on: Oct 12, 2026 10:28 am IST|Updated on: Oct 12, 2026 10:29 am IST The Indian T20I opener Abhishek Sharma etched his name in history books on Sunday night by becoming the fastest batter to score 2000 runs in T20Is in terms of balls faced. The explosive left-hand batter achieved the historic feat during the third T20I against West Indies in Indore, breaking the record previously held by the former Indian T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav. Abhishek achieved the milestone in 1024 deliveries, surpassing Suryakumar’s record of 1164 balls by a margin of 140 balls. Abhishek Sharma on a summit of his own The 26-year-old came into the 3rd ODI against the West Indies with an ultra-aggressive approach. Despite losing opening partner Sanju Samson early in the innings, the 26-year-old left-hander unleashed a barrage of boundaries against the West Indian pace and spin attack. The Punjab left-hander reached his fifty in just 18 balls, then went on to hit 6 fours and 5 sixes in a blistering 69 off 30. His blockbuster knock kept India afloat after an early hiccup and set the platform for the team to reach a gigantic total of 223. Unlike the last game, where they failed to defend a total of 250, the hosts managed to keep the West Indies batters in check to register a 14-run victory. Fastest to 2,000 T20I Runs (Balls Faced) Here’s a list of the top 5 batters to reach the 2000-run mark in the fewest balls faced. Batter Nation Balls Faced Career Strike Rate (T20Is) Abhishek Sharma India 🇮🇳 1,024 188.77 Suryakumar Yadav India 🇮🇳 1,164 162.94 Aaron Finch Australia 🇦🇺 1,283 142.53 Glenn Maxwell Australia 🇦🇺 1,304 155.26 Abhishek Sharma now sits atop, with big names like Suryakumar Yadav, Aaron Finch, and Glenn Maxwell behind him in the list of fastest batters to score 2000 T20Is in terms of balls faced. A Record-Breaking 2026 Season Abhishek’s milestone in Indore is part of a sensational calendar year in international cricket. In 2026 alone, the left-handed opener has amassed over 900 T20I runs at a staggering strike rate exceeding 200, matching Suryakumar Yadav’s Indian record for the most sixes hit in a single calendar year. Additionally, his 18-ball half-century in Indore marked his seventh T20I fifty scored inside the Powerplay overs, a feat no other batter in international cricket history has accomplished more than twice. With his fearless mentality and unmatched ball-striking capability, Abhishek Sharma continues to redefine opening batting in white-ball cricket for Team India. What next for Abhishek Sharma? Abhishek is set to feature in the final two T20Is of the series against the West Indies. The fourth T20I is set to be played on October 14 in Hyderabad, which also happens to be his IPL home ground, and the final T20I will take place in Bengaluru. After the West Indies series, the Indian T20I side will travel to New Zealand for a 5-match series set to kick off on October 22. Abhishek will play a crucial role in that series as well, being India’s premier T20I opener. Akshay Singh An ardent sports enthusiast who likes to write in such a manner so that the readers could relate themselves and feel the passion of the game.