Young Indian opener Abhishek Sharma played a starring role in India’s dominant seven-wicket victory over England in the first T20I at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on January 22. Abhishek’s explosive knock of 79 runs off just 34 balls guided India to chase down a modest target of 133 in only 12.5 overs, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Not only did Abhishek’s knock lead India to a commanding victory, but he also made history by surpassing Yuvraj Singh’s record for the most sixes by an Indian batter in a T20I against England. Abhishek’s eight sixes now hold the record for the most by any Indian in a T20I against England, overtaking Yuvraj’s seven sixes from his iconic 2007 T20 World Cup innings. Abhishek also holds the record for the most sixes in a T20I between India and England, a remarkable achievement at just 24 years old.

Yuvraj Singh’s 2007 record of seven sixes came in a blistering 58 runs off 16 balls against Stuart Broad. Additionally, England’s Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy, and Alex Hales have all hit seven sixes in T20Is against India.

Abhishek acknowledged skipper Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir for providing young players with the freedom to play their natural game.

“I truly wanted to express myself on the field, and I must give special credit to our captain, Suryakumar Yadav, and our coach, Gambhir. The freedom they provide us as young players is incredible. I’ve never experienced an environment like this before where we are encouraged to be ourselves, play our shots, and take risks right from the first delivery,” said the SRH batter, as reported by PTI.

When asked about his batting approach, the southpaw shared that he planned to stay deep in the crease and capitalize on the extra pace of both Archer and Mark Wood.

“I had worked on my trigger movements before the match, anticipating that the England bowlers would bowl short to test my patience. Thankfully, I was able to implement my plans effectively,” Abhishek added.

The second T20I between India and England will take place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, January 25.