After being asked to bat first at Chester-le-Street, India posted 189 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. However, worsening weather conditions after the innings break meant England could not face a single ball, forcing officials to call off the match.

The abandoned contest nevertheless saw Abhishek Sharma rewrite the record books. The left-handed opener smashed 59 off just 24 deliveries and became the fastest batter in T20 International history to reach 100 sixes.

Abhishek achieved the milestone in just 785 balls, surpassing the previous record held by West Indies batter Evin Lewis, who had taken 789 deliveries to reach the landmark. The Indian opener’s innings included six boundaries and four sixes and provided the visitors with a flying start.

The knock also earned him another record. His half-century came in just 20 balls, making it the fastest T20I fifty by an Indian batter in England. The previous mark belonged to KL Rahul, who had reached the milestone in 27 deliveries against England in Manchester in 2018.

With his latest six-hitting feat, Abhishek also joined an elite list of Indian players with 100 or more T20I sixes. Rohit Sharma continues to lead the chart among Indians with 205 sixes, followed by Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli.

India’s innings suffered an early setback when Ishan Kishan was run out without opening his account. Attempting a quick single in the second over, Kishan was sent back by Abhishek Sharma and failed to beat the throw despite a full-length dive. It marked the second consecutive match in which the wicketkeeper-batter was dismissed via a run-out.

Abhishek continued to dominate before falling leg-before-wicket to Sam Curran. Initially given not out on the field, the decision was overturned after England opted for a review. Ball-tracking showed the delivery would have struck the leg stump, ending a blistering innings that had put England under pressure.

India then relied on captain Shreyas Iyer to stabilise the innings. The skipper responded with a composed 68 off 47 balls, anchoring the middle overs and ensuring India maintained momentum after the loss of early wickets.

The innings carried additional significance for Iyer. He became the first Indian captain to score a T20I half-century on English soil. His score of 68 is now the highest by an Indian captain in a T20 International in England, surpassing Virat Kohli’s 47-run effort at Cardiff in 2018.

Iyer reached his fifty in 38 deliveries and went on to register his ninth T20I half-century overall and first as India’s captain.

The match also extended an unusual trend at Chester-le-Street involving India. This was the third international match featuring India at the venue to end without a completed result. Previous one-day internationals played there in 2002 and 2011 had also failed to produce full outcomes.

Light drizzle was present through much of India’s innings, but officials managed to complete all 20 overs. Conditions deteriorated significantly during the interval, and despite several inspections, the rain showed no signs of easing.

Eventually, the match was officially abandoned, leaving both teams with a shared point and denying fans the chance to witness England’s chase.

While the result will not impact the series significantly at this early stage, India will take confidence from the form shown by Abhishek Sharma and Shreyas Iyer as the contest moves to the next match.