Abhishek Sharma Smashes World Record, Dethrones Tim David in 5th T20 vs Australia

Abhishek Sharma etched his name in cricket history by becoming the fastest player to reach 1,000 runs in T20 Internationals in terms of balls faced for a single country.

The Indian opener achieved the feat during the fifth T20I against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday, toppling a world record previously held by Australia's Tim David.

Abhishek's Record-Breaking Milestone

Abhishek Sharma reached the 1,000-run landmark in remarkable fashion, surpassing Tim David's previous record of 569 balls. David had achieved the feat during his explosive innings of 74 off 38 balls against Australia in Hobart on November 2. Abhishek's achievement came in fewer deliveries, making him not only the fastest Indian to the milestone but also the quickest globally for a single nation.

India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, who took 573 balls to reach 1,000 runs, now sits behind Abhishek on the list, followed by New Zealand's Finn Allen who reached the mark in 611 balls. On the overall tally for total balls faced across all T20I teams, Tim David now stands sixth, having faced 614 balls to reach the milestone when accounting for matches played for both Singapore and Australia.

Close Call on Virat Kohli's Record

While Abhishek holds the record for the fewest balls faced, he narrowly missed surpassing Virat Kohli's mark for the fewest innings to 1,000 runs in T20Is for India. Kohli reached the figure in 27 innings from 29 matches, while Abhishek accomplished it in 28 innings. This still makes him the fastest Indian to the milestone in terms of matches played.

Fewest innings to 1,000 T20I runs (India):
27 - Virat Kohli
28 - Abhishek Sharma
29 - KL Rahul
31 - Suryakumar Yadav
40 - Rohit Sharma

Globally, the record for fewest matches to 1,000 T20I runs is currently jointly held by England's Dawid Malan and Czech Republic's Sabawoon Davizi, both achieving it in 24 matches.

Others on the Verge of Milestone

India's Sanju Samson, with 995 runs, and Tilak Varma, with 991 runs, are also close to reaching the 1,000-run mark in T20Is. However, both players were not included in India's playing XI for the fifth and final T20I against Australia.

A Lucky Escape

Abhishek's record-breaking innings was not without drama. He was dropped twice by Australian fielders, once before and once after reaching the 1,000-run milestone, within the first 11 balls he faced. Despite the early chances, the left-hander capitalized on the opportunity to make history in Brisbane.