Mon Feb 03 01:59:31 UTC 2025: ## Abhishek Sharma’s Century Blasts India to 247/9 Against England in T20 Thriller
**Mumbai, February 2, 2025** – Abhishek Sharma smashed a breathtaking century, propelling India to a challenging 247/9 against England in the fifth T20I at the Wankhede Stadium. Sharma’s electrifying innings, reminiscent of his mentor Yuvraj Singh, featured 13 sixes – a new record for an Indian batsman in men’s T20Is – and 7 fours, accumulating 135 runs off just 54 balls.
His explosive knock overshadowed a mixed performance from the rest of the Indian batting line-up. While Sanju Samson started with a six off the first ball and scored 16 runs in 7 balls, and Shivam Dube contributed a quick 30, other key players like Suryakumar Yadav (2 runs) underperformed. Despite early fireworks, wickets tumbled, leaving India’s score at 247/9 at the end of their 20 overs.
The match got off to a blazing start with India scoring 16 runs in the first over. However, consistent wickets hampered India’s progress, with Hardik Patel and Rinku Singh both dismissed for 9 runs each.
England now faces the daunting task of chasing down this formidable total under potentially challenging conditions, as the second innings is expected to be impacted by cold weather. The success of India’s bowling attack in the face of these conditions will be a key determinant of the match’s outcome.
**Playing XIs:**
**India:** Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy.
**England:** Philip Salt (wk), Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
First Piper 