New Delhi: Left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma lit up the Arun Jaitley Stadium, packed with 26,230 fans, by smashing the fastest T20I century by a batter from a Test-playing nation and the quickest ton by an India men's player, reaching the milestone off just 30 balls as India thrashed Afghanistan by 127 runs to complete a 3-0 series sweep on Thursday.

If Sunday hinted at Abhishek regaining form with a swashbuckling half-century, Thursday removed all doubt. The left-handed opener broke a cascade of records on his way to his hundred, eclipsing the 35-ball mark set by Rohit Sharma against Sri Lanka in 2017 for the fastest by an Indian. He moved to third on the overall global list, behind only Estonia's Sahil Chauhan (27 balls) and Turkey's Muhammad Fahad (29 balls).

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Though Afghanistan mounted a late fightback during the closing stages of the innings to restrict India to 221/7 — taking four wickets in the final four overs — Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravi Bishnoi took 3-25 and 3-26 respectively to bowl the visitors out for 94 in 14.1 overs. With Afghanistan losing four wickets during the powerplay, India cruised to a clinical 3-0 series win, mirroring their sweep over Zimbabwe in July.

On a placid pitch, Abhishek displayed remarkable power and timing to construct a brilliant 108 off 34 balls, laced with nine boundaries and eleven sixes at a strike rate of 317.65. A total of 102 of his runs came solely from boundaries. His assault pushed India to 100/0 by the end of the powerplay, and despite a late middle-order stumble, the designated hosts surged past the 220-run mark.

He found an able partner in Sanju Samson, who made a 35-ball 50 to record his second consecutive half-century of the series as the pair shared a 142-run opening partnership. For Afghanistan, Azmatullah Omarzai picked up 2-27, while skipper Rashid Khan, who was dynamic in effecting a run-out and claiming two remarkable catches, and Abdullah Ahmadzai took a wicket each.

Electing to field first, Afghanistan posted a slip fielder for Abhishek when he took strike in the opening over. But once he drove Fazalhaq Farooqi through cover for four, the slip was withdrawn. Thereafter, every tactic Afghanistan deployed proved futile as Abhishek's dominance unsettled the attack.

Omarzai bowled short at the stumps in the second over, and Abhishek pulled the delivery 86 metres over square leg for six. With his attacking rhythm established, Abhishek lofted Omarzai straight down the ground for four over mid-off and mid-on, before stepping down the pitch to clear cover for six as 17 runs came off the over. Farooqi's subsequent over yielded 23 runs as Abhishek dispatched him for two sixes and two fours.

Mohammad Nabi's lone over went for 29 runs. Samson initiated the assault with consecutive sixes before being dropped on 22 by captain Ibrahim Zadran at mid-off. Abhishek then brought up his fifty off just 16 balls with a six down the ground — marking the sixth time he has reached a half-century in under 20 deliveries — before carving a boundary through cover and point and concluding the fifth over with a six over the straight boundary.

Abhishek treated Rashid Khan with equal aggression, striking him for four over extra cover, followed by an inside-out boundary and a six over wide mid-off to register India's century within the powerplay. The scoring momentum continued as Ahmadzai and Mujeeb Ur Rahman were struck for further boundaries.

The next 14 deliveries he faced yielded 51 runs, and his third T20I century arrived in the ninth over when Abhishek drove Ahmadzai for a single. He did not immediately realise he had broken a sequence of historical records, removing his helmet and bandana to sit in a brief meditation pose to celebrate, while his father, Rajkumar Sharma, applauded from the stands.

Rashid eventually removed him in the tenth over with a googly bowled from behind the wicket, edging through to wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz, prompting a standing ovation from the crowd. Rashid subsequently executed a direct-hit run-out to dismiss Tilak Varma, before leaping to take a high catch at long-off to dismiss Samson off Omarzai's bowling.

Two overs later, Rashid ran to his left at long-on to pull off a diving catch over his head to dismiss Shivam Dube. Ishan Kishan was run out by Gurbaz, who discarded his right glove before striking the stumps. Ahmadzai, making his first appearance of the series, maintained a tight yorker line and had Reddy caught at deep midwicket.

By the time skipper Shreyas Iyer was run out for 29, India had moved beyond the 220-run threshold, despite scoring only 79 runs in the final 60 deliveries of the innings, backed by Abhishek's early exhibition.

In pursuit of 222, Gurbaz, who had failed to score in the series prior to the match, opened his account by steering a short-of-length delivery from Reddy behind point for four, followed by another boundary between cover and point.

Ibrahim Zadran picked up a short delivery over square leg for six off the fifth ball, bringing 15 runs from the opening over. After Gurbaz and Zadran collected three additional boundaries, Afghanistan's collapse commenced. Axar Patel struck with his first delivery as Gurbaz backed away to sweep and missed, disturbing the stumps.

Three balls later, Sediqullah Atal top-edged a slog sweep, allowing Abhishek to take the catch running in from deep midwicket. Jasprit Bumrah then yorked Darwish Rasooli with a 140 km/h delivery, while Yash Thakur had Zadran caught at deep square leg. With Afghanistan four wickets down inside the powerplay, the match's trajectory was effectively set.

Debutant Noor ul Rahman, dropped by Varma at long-off, made 11 off 15 balls before miscuing a Bishnoi delivery to deep cover. Reddy returned to secure his second consecutive three-wicket haul, removing Nabi with a low delivery that skidded under the bat to hit the stumps.

Omarzai targeted a good-length leg-cutter and sliced the ball to sweeper cover, while Mujeeb was bowled for a duck. Bishnoi concluded the match by castling Rashid and having Ahmadzai caught in the deep to seal a commanding victory for India.

Brief Scores: India 221/7 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 108, Sanju Samson 50; Azmatullah Omarzai 2-27, Abdullah Ahmadzai 1-38) beat Afghanistan 94 all out in 14.1 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 25, Azmatullah Omarzai 17; Nitish Kumar Reddy 3-25, Ravi Bishnoi 3-26) by 127 runs.

IANS