• India's Abhishek Sharma raises his bat as he celebrates after scoring a century during the fifth Twenty20 cricket match between India and England at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo / Rafiq Maqbool)
    India's Abhishek Sharma raises his bat as he celebrates after scoring a century during the fifth Twenty20 cricket match between India and England at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo / Rafiq Maqbool)
  • Scoreboard at Wankhede Stadium shows the final result - England's biggest-ever defeat in T20s. Getty Images
    Scoreboard at Wankhede Stadium shows the final result - England's biggest-ever defeat in T20s. Getty Images
  • India's Abhishek Sharma reached his century off 37 balls helping his team reach 247-9. AFP
    India's Abhishek Sharma reached his century off 37 balls helping his team reach 247-9. AFP
  • England fast-bowler Mark Wood celebrates after taking the wicket of India's Sanju Samson for 16. AFP
    England fast-bowler Mark Wood celebrates after taking the wicket of India's Sanju Samson for 16. AFP
  • India's Abhishek Sharma hit seven fours and 13 sixes in his knock of 135 from 54 balls. Reuters
    India's Abhishek Sharma hit seven fours and 13 sixes in his knock of 135 from 54 balls. Reuters
  • England bowler Brydon Carse, second left, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of India's Tilak Varma for 24. AP
    England bowler Brydon Carse, second left, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of India's Tilak Varma for 24. AP
  • India's Shivam Dube hit 30 off 13 balls, including three fours and two sixes. AFP
    India's Shivam Dube hit 30 off 13 balls, including three fours and two sixes. AFP
  • India batter Shivam Dube survives a run-out attempt. Getty Images
    India batter Shivam Dube survives a run-out attempt. Getty Images
  • India bowler Mohammed Shami, left, finished with figures of 3-25. AP
    India bowler Mohammed Shami, left, finished with figures of 3-25. AP
  • Phil Salt top-scored for England with 50 as the visitors were bowled out for 97. Only one other player reached double figures. Getty Images
    Phil Salt top-scored for England with 50 as the visitors were bowled out for 97. Only one other player reached double figures. Getty Images
  • India's Varun Chakravarthy, right, celebrates with Suryakumar Yadav after taking the wicket of England's captain Jos Buttler for seven. AFP
    India's Varun Chakravarthy, right, celebrates with Suryakumar Yadav after taking the wicket of England's captain Jos Buttler for seven. AFP

Abhishek Sharma hits brutal century as India thrash England by 150 runs in final T20 clash


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India's Abhishek Sharma hit a brutal 135 to set up a crushing 150-run win over England in the fifth T20 international and seal the series 4-1 on Sunday.

Opener Abhishek's incredible 54-ball knock, laced with 13 sixes, fired India, who clinched the series in the fourth T20, to 247-9 after being invited to bat first at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

“It's a special one, coming for the country, it's always a great feeling,” said Abhishek.

“When I see it's my day, I always try to go from the first ball. And the way the coach and the captain have treated me from the first day. They've always wanted this intent, they've always backed me.”

The tourists were never in the chase despite Phil Salt's 23-ball 55 as India bowled out the tourists for 97 for their second biggest T20 victory by runs.

England slipped to 68-4 as captain Jos Buttler (7), Harry Brook (two) and Liam Livingstone (nine) all failed to make an impact.

Shivam Dube, a batting all-rounder who bowls medium pace, removed Salt with the first ball he bowled after he was controversially replaced by fast bowler Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute in the previous match.

The rest of the England batting fell quickly with Jacob Bethell, who made 10, the only batter to reach double figures other than Salt.

Abhishek turned up with the ball as well and took two wickets with his left-arm spin in the only over he bowled.

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy and Dube also took two each.

Pace-bowler Mohammed Shami finished with three wickets as he wrapped up the England innings in 10.3 overs.

“We're disappointed to lose the series, but we've done some things well and some things we want to improve on,” said Buttler.

“We want to keep committing to this style of cricket and execute better.

“India are a fantastic side, especially at home, and we're better for the experience, the experience of great crowds like this at the Wankhede.”

Abhishek dominated a partnership of 115 for the second wicket with Tilak Varma following England's decision to bowl first.

The 24-year-old raced to his fifty in 17 balls with a six and then reached his second T20 century for India in 37 deliveries. Dube was the next highest scorer with 30.

Speedster Mark Wood dismissed Hardik Pandya for nine after earlier removing opener Sanju Samson.

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid had Abhishek caught out in the 18th over as India lost four wickets in the final five overs.

Fast-bowler Brydon Carse took three wickets including Suryakumar Yadav for two, with the Indian captain's batting woes showing no signs of ending.

India won the opening two matches before England came back to keep the series alive in the third game.

India took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the fourth T20 after Rana's inclusion in place of Dube – not a like-for-like replacement – angered England.

But the visitors can have few complaints after such a comprehensive series loss.

“It's always about being a little instinctive on the ground, whoever you feel might do something, throw them the ball,” said Yadav.

“This is what we've sat down and spoken about, what brand of cricket we want to play, and we want to keep sticking to it.

“It's a high-risk, high-reward game, but at the end of the day we're getting the results.

The two teams now head into three one-day internationals starting February 6 in Nagpur.

The series is a warm-up for the 50-over Champions Trophy starting February 19 in Pakistan and Dubai.

Updated: February 02, 2025, 5:48 PM