"I didn’t even have a 30-run knock" - Abhishek Sharma explains his new celebration in IND vs ENG 2025 5th T20I

Team India opener Abhishek Sharma stole the show with his blistering 135-run knock off 54 balls in the side's recently concluded fifth T20I against England in Mumbai. Apart from his swashbuckling batting exploits, the youngster's 'L' celebration also generated buzz among the fans.

Opening up about the viral celebration, Abhishek recently stated that the gesture 'L' stands for love. The southpaw expressed his delight over his performances against England as he pointed out that he was yet to cross the 30-run mark in an innings in India before the five-match series.

The 24-year-old mentioned that he had thought about how he would celebrate when he hits a century. He suggested that when the moment finally came, he was blank.

In a video shared by the BCCI on its official website, Abhishek said:

"Whenever I scored a fifty, I celebrated in this fashion. I really like it, this is love. Before this series, I hadn't even scored a 30-run knock in India. I used to think and manifest about how I would celebrate when I scored a hundred. But when it happened, I was totally blank. All the emotions were very natural."

It is worth mentioning that this was Abhishek Sharma's second T20I century. His hundred came in just 37 balls, also the second-fastest T20I ton by an Indian batter. His 135-run innings is also the highest individual score for an Indian in T20Is.

His performance helped the Men in Blue post a mammoth 247-run total. England were bundled out for a paltry score of 97 in the dead rubber fifth T20I. The hosts completed a comprehensive 150-run victory to win the series 4-1.

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"They have more trust in me than I have in myself" - Abhishek Sharma on Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav

In the aforementioned video, Abhishek Sharma stated that he was aware that Rohit Sharma holds the record for hitting the fastest T20I ton for India. The senior batter achieved the feat with a 35-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in 2017.

Abhishek also acknowledged the backing from head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Suryakumar Yadav. The 24-year-old said:

"I know he (Rohit Sharma) holds the record. I feel that on my day if the first ball is there to hit, I will hit. Luckily, it was my day today. The way Surya paaji and Gauti paaji have supported me, I think they have more trust in me than I have in myself. It gave me a lot of motivation."

Abhishek Sharma was the leading run-getter in the five-match T20I series between India and England. The left-handed batter chalked up 279 runs across five innings at a strike rate of 219.68.