Abhishek breaks KL Rahul's record in England, becomes fastest ever to...

India produced a much-improved batting performance against England in the first T20I at Chester-le-Street, but incessant rain forced the match to be abandoned before the hosts could begin their chase of 190. The visitors posted a competitive 189/7 in 20 overs, thanks largely to explosive knocks from Abhishek Sharma and captain Shreyas Iyer, before heavy rain brought proceedings to an end. India's innings got off to a disastrous start after they elected to bat. Sanju Samson was dismissed for just one, while Ishan Kishan suffered his second consecutive run-out in T20Is following a mix-up with opening partner Abhishek Sharma, leaving India struggling at 6/2. However, Abhishek quickly shifted the momentum with an aggressive counterattack alongside Shreyas.Abhishek Sharma creates recordAbhishek Sharma smashed a breathtaking 59 off just 24 balls, including six fours and four sixes, registering the fastest T20I fifty by an Indian batter in England. The left-hander reached the milestone in just 20 balls, surpassing KL Rahul's previous record of a 27-ball half-century against England in Manchester in 2018.Abhishek and Shreyas stitched together an 82-run partnership in just over seven overs to revive India's innings. Abhishek dominated England's pace attack, particularly Saqib Mahmood and Luke Wood, helping India race to 61/2 in the powerplay before eventually falling to Sam Curran.Shreyas Iyer returns to formAfter playing a supporting role initially, Shreyas took control of the innings and scored a composed 68 off 47 deliveries. The India captain registered his ninth T20I fifty and his first as skipper, finding much-needed form after a disappointing series against Ireland. His innings featured six boundaries and a six before he was trapped lbw by Saqib Mahmood.Shivam Dube then provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 42 off just 21 balls, helping India add 54 runs in the final five overs and push their total to 189/7. Mahmood was England's standout bowler with figures of 3/33.However, rain that began towards the end of India's innings intensified during the break, and with less than 40 minutes remaining before the cut-off for a five-over chase, the umpires called off the match. The teams will now head to Manchester for the second T20I on July 4.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.