‘I Got a Text From Him…’: Abhishek Sharma Reveals Yuvraj Singh’s Simple Advice Before Record-Breaking 30-Ball Century

New Delhi, September 18, 2026: Abhishek Sharma may be one of the most destructive batters in international cricket, but a simple message from Yuvraj Singh helped him find the right balance before one of the most explosive innings of his career.

The 26-year-old India opener revealed that Yuvraj texted him after the second T20I against Afghanistan, advising him not to force a boundary from every delivery. Instead, the former India all-rounder wanted his protégé to recognise when the ball was not in his hitting zone and simply rotate the strike.

Abhishek responded in spectacular fashion in the third and final T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, racing to his century in only 30 deliveries before finishing with 108 off 34 balls. His knock included nine fours and 11 sixes.

What did Yuvraj Singh tell Abhishek?

Speaking to the host broadcaster after his match-winning performance, Abhishek disclosed the message he had received from his mentor.

Yuvraj’s advice was straightforward: don’t force every ball. If a delivery was not there to be attacked, taking a single or two was perfectly acceptable.

Abhishek explained that Yuvraj has always encouraged him to bat for longer periods, rather than allowing a flying start to end prematurely. The opener said that while giving India an aggressive start remains important to him, contributing to a winning performance is ultimately what matters most.

The message appeared particularly relevant to Abhishek’s naturally aggressive style. His ability to clear the boundary has never been in doubt; Yuvraj’s advice instead focused on knowing when not to attack — adding another layer to his T20 batting.

Abhishek Sharma breaks Rohit Sharma’s Indian record

The result was a historic innings.

By reaching three figures from just 30 balls, Abhishek registered the fastest T20I century by an Indian, surpassing Rohit Sharma’s previous national record. His hundred was also the fastest by a batter representing an ICC Full Member nation in men’s T20 internationals.

In the overall men’s T20I record books, Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan remains ahead after his extraordinary 27-ball century against Cyprus in 2024, while Turkey’s Muhammad Fahad reached a hundred from 29 balls against Bulgaria in 2025. Abhishek’s 30-ball effort therefore sits among the quickest hundreds ever witnessed in international T20 cricket.

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From 16-ball fifty to a stunning hundred

Abhishek did not explode from the very first delivery. His first boundary arrived on the fourth ball of the opening over, but once he found his timing, Afghanistan’s bowlers had few answers.

He attacked Azmatullah Omarzai before putting further pressure on Afghanistan’s pace attack. By the fifth over, the left-hander had already completed his half-century from only 16 deliveries.

There was little respite after the milestone. Abhishek continued attacking both pace and spin, helping India race beyond 100 inside the powerplay and setting the foundation for a commanding total.

His assault ultimately powered India to 221/7. Afghanistan were then bowled out for 94, giving the hosts a massive 127-run victory and completing a 3-0 series sweep. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravi Bishnoi picked up three wickets each.

A statement series for Abhishek Sharma

The century capped an outstanding series for the Indian opener.

Abhishek registered scores of 82, 39 and 108 across the three matches, finishing with 229 runs. His performance in the finale was also his third T20I century, underlining his growing importance at the top of India’s T20 batting order.

But beyond the records and towering sixes, his revelation about Yuvraj Singh’s text message offered an insight into the thinking behind the innings.

For a batter famous for sending the ball into the stands, the lesson from his mentor was surprisingly simple: sometimes, taking one run is enough.