Abhishek smashes 5 sixes vs West Indies, equals Suryakumar Yadav's T20I record

Abhishek Sharma continued his explosive run in T20I cricket, equalling Suryakumar Yadav's record for the most sixes hit by a batter in a calendar year among Full Member teams during the third T20I against West Indies in Indore on Sunday. The left-handed opener reached 68 sixes in 2026, matching Suryakumar's tally from 2022. Abhishek achieved the milestone during India's first innings at the Holkar Stadium, further underlining his reputation as one of the most destructive batters in the shortest format. What makes Abhishek's achievement even more impressive is his scoring frequency. He has struck a six every 6.55 balls in 2026, compared to Suryakumar's rate of one maximum every 9.13 deliveries in 2022. Abhishek has now recorded two of the top three tallies on the list, having hit 54 sixes in 2025 as well. Ishan Kishan, his opening partner against West Indies, also features among the leading six-hitters, with 52 maximums in 2026. Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan completes the top five with 45 sixes in 2025.

Most sixes in a calendar year in T20Is (FM teams)

68 - Abhishek Sharma in 2026 (Balls/six: 6.55)

68 - Suryakumar Yadav in 2022 (Balls/six: 9.13)

54 - Abhishek Sharma in 2025 (Balls/six: 8.22)

52 - Ishan Kishan in 2026 (Balls/six: 12.69)

45 - Sahibzada Farhan in 2025 (Balls/six: 12.82)

Abhishek Sharma leads India's six-hitting charge

Abhishek's latest milestone came during an explosive 69 off 30 balls against West Indies. His innings featured six fours and five sixes, helping India recover from Sanju Samson's early dismissal and launch an aggressive counterattack. He combined effectively with Ishan Kishan before his innings ended when Shamar Springer took a return catch. Abhishek's departure triggered a brief collapse, with West Indies claiming three wickets in the space of 10 deliveries for just nine runs.

Despite losing momentum in the middle overs, India managed to post a formidable total of 223/10 in 20 overs. Prince Yadav contributed an unbeaten late flourish, adding 13 runs in the final over to push the hosts beyond the 220-run mark.India playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav.West Indies playing XI: Shai Hope (c/wk), Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Keemo Paul, Roston Chase, Shamar Springer, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie.