Mumbai: 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.
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.
Abhishek also two wickets in the only over he bowled with left-arm spin.
“It’s a special one, coming for the country, always a great feeling,” said the 24-year-old 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.”
England slipped to 68-4 as Jos Buttler (7), Harry Brook (2) and Liam Livingstone (9) 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.
Wrist spinner Varun Chakravarthy and Dube also took two each.
Chakravarthy was named player of the series for his 14 wickets in the five matches.
Pace bowler Mohammed Shami finished with three wickets as he wrapped up the England innings in 10.3 overs.
Abhishek dominated a partnership of 115 for the second wicket with Tilak Varma following England’s decision to bowl first.
He 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.
“I’ve seen a lot of cricket, and I thought Abhishek’s innings today was one of the best,” said England captain Buttler.
Fast bowler Brydon Carse took three wickets including Suryakumar for two, with the Indian captain’s batting woes showing no signs of ending — 28 runs in five matches.
“Some of the guys’ bowling performances — even today, Brydon Carse and Mark Wood were outstanding,” Buttler said of his team’s positives.
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.
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.
Abhishek’s brilliant ton helps India demolish England in final T20
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Abhishek’s brilliant ton helps India demolish England in final T20
- The two teams now head into three one-day internationals starting February 6 in Nagpur
- The series is a warm-up for 50-over Champions Trophy starting Feb. 19 in Pakistan, Dubai
Why 2026 could be Saudi Arabia’s most important sporting year yet
RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia accelerates toward hosting some of the world’s biggest sporting events, the focus has shifted from spectacle to systems.
Under Vision 2030, building long-term capability in event-hosting has become as important as attracting the events themselves. And 2026 may be the year where that strategy is comprehensively tested more than ever.
The calendar alone hints at its significance. A mix of returning global fixtures and first-time arrivals will have Saudi Arabia host a near-continuous run of major events across multiple sports, creating an opportunity to refine and scale its hosting model.
The year begins with the Dakar Rally, which returns to Saudi Arabia for a seventh edition. More than 900 drivers will traverse over 7,000 km of desert terrain in one of the most logistically demanding events in world sport.
Shortly after, attention shifts to Al-Inma Stadium, with the Spanish Super Cup bringing Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid to Jeddah.
A new arrival will make its way to Saudi Arabia just a day prior: the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, a key tournament on the road to AFC Asian Cup 2027.
Sixteen nations will compete, offering a rehearsal not just for players, but also organizers and infrastructure ahead of the Kingdom’s first continental flagship event.
January 2026 also marks a milestone beyond the confines of traditional sport. The WWE Royal Rumble — part of the WWE’s “Big Four” Premium Live Events — will be staged outside of North America for the first time.
Riyadh is set to be the stage for the larger-than-life professional wrestling characters that have wowed Saudi fans on many an occasion in recent years.
The remainder of 2026 continues in similar fashion. Events confirmed include the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Formula E, AFC U-17 Asian Cup, eSports World Cup, WTA Finals, Gulf Cup and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
These events form a calendar that includes elite competition, youth development, mass participation and digital sport.
What makes 2026 particularly important — despite the presence of much larger events in the following years, such as the AFC Asian Cup, the Asian Games and the FIFA World Cup — is not the scale of individual events, but the volume and variety.
These events will allow Saudi Arabia to deepen its operational expertise and test its ability to deliver consistently across a range of disciplines. This approach aligns with the Kingdom’s broader national objectives.
According to the Vision 2030 website, adult participation in physical activity for at least 150 minutes a week reached 59.1 percent in 2025, breaking past the 2027 target.
Also, children’s participation has risen to 19 percent, speeding past the 2029 goal by four years. Major events, in this context, are not endpoints, but catalysts for the rapid growth on show.
That is why tournaments such as the AFC U-23 Asian Cup and AFC U-17 Asian Cup sit alongside the global spectacles on the 2026 calendar.
More than just a way of bringing as many events as possible to the Kingdom, they represent pathways for athletes, fans, volunteers and organizers to engage with sport at every level, while contributing to Saudi Arabia’s growing identity as a capable and credible host.
By the time the Kingdom turns its full attention to the AFC Asian Cup 2027 — just over 12 months from now — much of the groundwork will have already been laid.
In that sense, it is clear to see that 2026 will not just be about headlines, but also building the Kingdom’s readiness for the sheer variety of events to come.
