Sun Feb 02 20:59:04 UTC 2025: ## India Humiliates England by 150 Runs in T20I Series Finale
**Mumbai, India** – Abhishek Sharma’s record-breaking 135 off 54 balls powered India to a resounding 150-run victory over England in the fifth and final T20I at the Wankhede Stadium. England, asked to chase a mammoth 248, were bowled out for a paltry 97 runs, their lowest ever T20I total against India.
Sharma’s innings, which included seven fours and thirteen sixes, shattered the previous record for the highest score by an Indian in T20Is. He and Tilak Varma (24) put on a blistering 115-run partnership in the powerplay, laying the foundation for India’s dominant performance. Sharma’s century came off just 37 balls, a performance described as “astonishing” and reminiscent of Chris Gayle’s explosive batting.
England’s chase never got going. Jos Buttler (7) fell early, and wickets tumbled regularly as India’s bowlers, spearheaded by Varun Chakravarthy (player of the series with 14 wickets at 9.85), exploited England’s frail batting line-up. Shivam Dube also impressed, taking a wicket with his first ball after recovering from a concussion sustained in the previous match. The controversial substitution of Dube with Harshit Rana in the fourth T20I, which left Buttler visibly frustrated, was again a talking point.
The victory capped off a dominant series for India, who overcame several close encounters earlier in the series. England’s struggles with the bat continued, with their inability to cope with India’s spinners cited as a major factor in their defeat. The three-match ODI series between the two sides begins on February 6th.
First Piper 