Least innings taken by an Indian batter for T20I ton
Left-handed batter Abhishek Sharma scored his maiden century as India claimed a 100-run win over Zimbabwe in the 2nd T20I in Harare. The budding opener, playing only his second international, reached three figures after recording a duck in the series opener that marked his debut. Here are the least innings taken by an Indian batter for a century in T20I cricket.
Abhishek Sharma: 2 innings
Abhishek, who couldn't open his account in the series opener, hammered Zimbabwe in the 2nd T20I. The left-hander reached his century off 46 balls, the joint third-fastest by an Indian in T20I cricket (with KL Rahul). Abhishek also became the fourth-youngest Indian to hit a T20I ton. Two innings taken by him are the least for an Indian batter to score a T20I ton.
India's 10th centurion in T20I cricket
It is worth noting that Abhishek became India's 10th centurion in the shortest format. He joined Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Rahul, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Deepak Hooda, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad on this list.
Deepak Hooda: 3 innings
Before the 2nd T20I (Zimbabwe vs India), Deepak Hooda held this record. In June 2022, Hooda became the fourth Indian to slam a century in T20I cricket. Hooda reached the three-figure mark (104) in the 2nd T20I against Ireland at The Village, Dublin. The right-hander registered his maiden T20I ton in his fifth match, playing his third innings.
KL Rahul: 4 innings
Like Abhishek, senior batter KL Rahul also recorded a duck on his T20I debut, against Zimbabwe in Harare (2016). Two months later, Rahul slammed an incredible century, albeit in losing cause. He smashed a 51-ball 110* against West Indies in the famous high-scoring thriller in Lauderhill. This was Rahul's fourth innings in the shortest format.