Cricket news 2025, England lose T20 to India as Abhishek Sharma smashes record century

Abhishek Sharma smacked England for 13 sixes and a 37-ball hundred before taking two wickets in his only over as India won the fifth Twenty20 by a massive 150 runs.

The horror loss came less than two days after England's women's team was humiliated in an Ashes whitewash in Australia.

Sharma hit a record individual men's T20 score for India — 135 runs off 54 balls — as the hosts amassed 9-247 in 20 overs after losing the toss at Wankhede.

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Shubman Gill previously held the record for India with 126 not out against New Zealand in 2023.

England collapsed in reply to 97 all out in 10.3 overs as India won the five-match series 4-1.

Jos Buttler of England makes his way off the field. Getty

England stubbornly stuck to a pace-heavy bowling attack but captain Jos Buttler defended the game plan.

"We've done some things well, there are some things we want to improve upon, but we've got to keep committing to the style of cricket we want to play - just execute better," Buttler said.

"India are a fantastic side, especially at home, and absolutely our guys will be better for the experience.

Sharma lit up the Mumbai skyline with a flurry of sixes and seven fours before England was all out with 57 balls to spare. His 13 sixes also set a record for the most sixes by an India batter in a T20 match, beating the previous record of 10 which was shared by Rohit Sharma, Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma.

Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy took 2-25 for India, while Shivam Dube got 2-11. Sharma took 2-3 in his one over.

Sharma hit 50 off only 17 balls – the second quickest for an Indian batter in T20s — as India scored 95-1 in the powerplay.

The left-handed opener put on 115 runs off 43 balls for the second wicket with Varma. India had crossed 100 in only the seventh over thanks to Sharma’s whirlwind knock, but stumbled past the halfway mark.

India's Abhishek Sharma celebrates after scoring a century. AP

India conceded five wickets across 41 deliveries but it didn’t reflect on the scoreboard as Sharma was unstoppable.

He reached his second T20 hundred off only 37 balls – the second-quickest for India in men's T20s behind Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in 2017.

Sharma finished with a strike-rate of 250.

A three-match ODI series starts Thursday in Nagpur in the build-up to the 2025 Champions Trophy.

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