Abhishek Sharma's six-hitting in 2026 has now entered the record books. The India opener has hit 85 sixes in the calendar year, the most by a batter from a full-member nation in a single year, going past the mark set by former captain Rohit Sharma.
The record and the previous mark
Abhishek's 85 sixes in 2026 put him ahead of Rohit Sharma, who hit 80 sixes in 2023. The new mark is the highest calendar-year tally by a batter from a full-member nation.
Abhishek has reached the tally playing only T20 internationals, which makes the record stand out in a year dominated by the shortest format.
The Wellington innings behind the tally
The latest addition to the tally came in Wellington, where Abhishek scored 113 runs off 38 balls with 11 sixes against New Zealand. India put on 118 runs in the powerplay in that match.
Abhishek and Vaibhav Suryavanshi shared a 133-run opening stand in the match, with Vaibhav scoring 45 runs off 19 balls.
Where he stands overall
Abhishek now has 158 sixes in T20 internationals overall. Among Indian batters, only Rohit Sharma with 205 and Suryakumar Yadav with 179 sit ahead of him.
The series context adds to the story: India won the T20I series in New Zealand 5-0 in 2020 and 1-0 in 2022, and now lead the current series 3-0.
What it means for India
For India, the record underlines how central Abhishek's aggressive opening batting has become to the team's approach in T20 cricket.
With the year still running, the tally can grow further, and the opener's form gives India a major weapon at the top of the order.
