Abhishek Sharma became the fastest player to reach 5,000 runs in T20 cricket, achieving the milestone in just 2,898 balls during India’s first T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur on Wednesday . The 25-year-old left-handed opener broke the previous record held by West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell, who had reached the mark in 2,942 balls .

Record-breaking knock powers India’s win

Abhishek slammed a blistering 84 off just 35 deliveries, laced with eight sixes and five boundaries, as India posted a formidable 238 for seven and registered a 48-run victory in the series opener . His explosive knock earned him the Player of the Match award and underlined his growing importance as India’s aggressive opener in the T20 format .

Fastest to 5,000 T20 runs

Rank

Player

Country

Balls

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1

Abhishek Sharma

India

2,898

2

Andre Russell

West Indies

2,942

3

Tim David

Australia/Singapore

3,127

4

Will Jacks

England

3,196

5

Glenn Maxwell

Australia

3,239

Abhishek’s approach: timing over range-hitting

After the match, Abhishek revealed his batting philosophy, saying he does not believe in range-hitting and instead backs his instincts and timing. “We had a plan from day one and are just following it. I’ve figured out if you want to hit all balls or strike at 200, you have to carry intent. All teams have a plan for me. It’s about my preparation. I’m going to back my instinct,” he said at the post-match presentation .

The young opener stressed that he does not consider his role high-risk and that going big in the powerplay requires preparation, not just wild swinging. “I never do range-hitting. I’m more of a timing batter, I need to watch the ball and get used to the conditions. For it, I plan in my net session. I feel, if you watch your batting videos, you get an idea of where the bowler bowls to you,” Abhishek explained .

Building momentum before the T20 World Cup

Abhishek’s record-breaking performance comes at the perfect time for India, who are using this five-match series against New Zealand as their final preparation before defending their T20 World Cup title starting February 7. His aggressive approach at the top of the order provides India with the kind of explosive starts that can set the tone in high-pressure tournament matches. With this historic milestone and his growing consistency, Abhishek has firmly established himself as a key weapon in India’s T20 arsenal.