Abhishek Sharma makes history, enters Indian cricket records

India’s Abhishek Sharma (AP photo) Indian all-rounder Abhishek Sharma etched his name into the record books after registering the best bowling figures by an Indian opener in T20I cricket during the second T20I against Zimbabwe on Saturday. The left-arm spinner returned figures of 3/17, besting all Indian openers and producing the best bowling performance in the shortest format. His spell came as India beat Zimbabwe by 90 runs to take an elusive 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Abhishek’s effort now sits alongside two iconic performances by Indian openers across formats. Vinoo Mankad continues to hold the Test record with his remarkable 8/52 against Pakistan in 1952, while Ravi Shastri’s 5/15 against Australia in 1991 remains India’s best opener in ODIs.

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Indian opener’s best bowling figures:

• Tests: Vinoo Mankad – 8/52 vs Pakistan (1952)
• ODI: Ravi Shastri – 5/15 vs Australia (1991)
• T20Is: Abhishek Sharma – 3/17 vs Zimbabwe (2026)

Abhishek suffered a disappointment with the bat after being dismissed cheaply by Blessing Muzarabani, but made a crucial hit with the ball. Introduced as a part-time option, the left-armer struck three times to ensure Zimbabwe never recovered during their daunting chase of 220. Zimbabwe’s chase lost steam after Brian Bennett’s early aggression was curtailed and the visitors departed at regular intervals. Abhishek’s three wickets, along with two each from Yash Thakur and Prince Yadav, put the hosts on 129. Earlier, India recovered from 29/2 thanks to Ishan Kishan’s commanding 81 and Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 60. Kishan steadied the innings before stepping up his batting in the second half, while Tilak produced a fluent half-century to power India to 219/5. The bowlers then completed the task in emphatic fashion with Abhishek completing the victory by setting a new Indian record.