Hobart [Australia], November 1 : Abhishek Sharma is just 64 runs away from becoming the Indian batter to score the fastest 1,000 T20I runs, with the team set to play the third T20I against Australia at Hobart on Sunday.
With Australia 1-0 up, India will seek to square the five-match series. Abhishek, who played a fiery 68-run knock in 37 balls despite wickets falling around him, would be aiming to get another big score to continue his dominant run this year.
In 26 matches and 25 innings, Abhishek has scored 936 runs at an average of 37.44 and a strike rate of over 193, with two centuries and six fifties, including a career-best 135 in 54 balls against England at Mumbai.
If Abhishek scores 64 runs in what would be his 27th match and 26th inning tomorrow, he will outdo Indian batting legend Virat Kohli as the fastest 1,000-run-getter in T20Is from his team. Virat reached this milestone during his 29th match and 27th inning against South Africa in 2010 at home.
In 14 T20Is this year, Abhishek has scored 680 runs in 14 innings, averaging 48.57 and striking at an imperious strike rate of 202.98, with a century and five fifties.
Squads:
India Squad: Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma
Australia Squad: Mitchell Marsh(c), Travis Head, Josh Inglis(w), Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Mahli Beardman, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Sean Abbott, Matthew Short, Josh Philippe, Tanveer Sangha.