Abhishek Sharma added his name to a rare list on Sunday during India’s chase against Pakistan in Dubai, smashing Shaheen Afridi’s very first delivery of the innings for a six. This is the second time Abhishek has opened a T20I innings with a maximum, having earlier achieved the feat against Haider Ali in the same venue earlier this year.

So far, only a handful of Indian batters have managed this rare milestone:

  • Rohit Sharma vs Adil Rashid, Ahmedabad 2021
  • Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Sikandar Raza, Harare 2024
  • Sanju Samson vs Jofra Archer, Mumbai WS 2025
  • Abhishek Sharma vs Haider Ali, Dubai 2025
  • Abhishek Sharma vs Shaheen Afridi, Dubai 2025

The left-hander’s audacious stroke not only set the tone for India’s innings but also intensified the on-field drama, with Afridi firing words back at him in frustration.