[Watch] Abhishek Sharma bludgeons back-to-back sixes off Mark Wood in IND vs ENG 2025 1st T20I

India opener Abhishek Sharma slammed back-to-back sixes off England pacer Mark Wood in the first of the five-match T20I series at Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata on Wednesday, January 22. The left-handed batter took the aerial route against Wood in the last over of the powerplay.

He first hit a nonchalant six towards deep backward square leg before he cleared the third-man fielder off the next delivery.

Watch the clip below:

Abhishek Sharma scored 79 runs off 34 balls at a strike rate of 232, comprising eight sixes and five boundaries. This was his second fifty in his last three innings. The 24-year-old has also smashed a century against Zimbabwe. He will now look to continue his good form in the rest of the series.

Abhishek recently delivered with the bat for Punjab, amassing 467 runs in eight matches at the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy. The southpaw previously amassed 255 runs in seven games at the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

---

Abhishek Sharma shines as India beat England in T20I series opener

A clinical batting display from Abhishek Sharma ensured the Men in Blue beat England by seven wickets in the first T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the series. This was India's biggest win against England in terms of balls remaining - 43 balls. The previous two were 13 deliveries in 2021 and 2012 in Ahmedabad and Pune, respectively.

Apart from Sharma, Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma chipped in with scores of 26 (20) and 19* (16), respectively. Jofra Archer emerged as the leading wicket-taker with two scalps.

Batting first, the tourists were bundled out for 132 in their allotted 20 overs. Jos Buttler scored 68 runs off 44 balls at a strike rate of 154.54, including two sixes and eight boundaries. Harry Brook and Jofra Archer were the other duo to reach double digits.

Varun Chakaravarthy starred with the ball, returning with three wickets, while Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel bagged two wickets apiece.

The two teams will next lock horns in the second T20I at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, January 25.

Click here to check out the full IND vs ENG 1st T20I scorecard.