Rajkot, Dec 5 (IANS): Skipper Abhishek Sharma equalled the record for the fastest T20 century by an Indian batter as he smashed a sensational 100 off just 28 balls for Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) match against Meghalaya at the Niranjan Shah Stadium C on Thursday.

With his unbeaten innings of 106 off 29, laced with 11 maximums and eight boundaries, Abhishek equalled the record for the fastest T20 century by an Indian batter with Gujarat’s Urvil Patel, who had smashed a 28-ball century against Tripura earlier in this tournament in Indore.

Chasing a modest target of 143, Abhishek raced to his half-century in just 12 balls before reaching the historic milestone in just 28 balls as Punjab chased down the target in just 9.3 overs.

Abhishek's sensational innings broke his lean patch in the tournament, as in his six previous innings, he managed 149 runs, crossing fifty only once.

Besides his heroics with bat, Abhishek also calimed two wickets in his four-over quota after conceding 24 runs at an economy of 6 as Punjab restricted Meghalaya on 142-7 in 20 overs.

Globally, Abhishek’s feat puts him just shy of the all-time fastest T20 century, a 27-ball effort by Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan against Cyprus.