Indian opener Abhishek Sharma scripted history for the India National Cricket Team, not with the bat, but with the ball, as a part-time spinner against Zimbabwe on Saturday, July 25, at Harare Sports Club.
Sharma’s returning bowling figure of 3/17 has officially become the best bowling spell produced by any Indian opener in the shortest format of the game. With Sharma’s incredible bowling spell, India won the second of the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe by 90 runs and claimed the series unprecedentedly, with one more match to be played.
Shreyas Iyer-led India National Cricket Team marked their first-ever series win last night after enduring a 6-match-long losing streak. While Abhishek proved a flop again with the bat, he contributed more than expected with his spin bowling abilities.
Overall, across the formats, Vinoo Mankad’s bowling spell against Pakistan in 1952 remains the best produced by an Indian opener. In the Test match against Pakistan, Vinoo scalped 8 for 52. In the ODIs, Ravi Shastri holds the record for claiming the most wickets by an Indian opener. In 1991, against Australia, Ravi struck 5 times to create the record. And in the T20Is, the record currently belongs to Abhishek for bagging three for 17.
Best bowling figures by an Indian opener:
Tests: Vinoo Mankad – 8/52 vs Pakistan (1952)
ODIs: Ravi Shastri – 5/15 vs Australia (1991)
T20Is: Abhishek Sharma – 3/17 vs Zimbabwe (2026)
Abhishek Sharma surpasses his own record in T20Is
Through the match-winning bowling spell against Zimbabwe, Abhishek surpassed his own previous record. In 2025, when India was up against England in Mumbai, the batter, who occasionally bowled around his arm, snatched a brace of 3 runs. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan is among the rare Indian openers who got multiple wickets in a T20I match. Irfan’s 2 for 17 against England in Colombo in 2012 is the third best in the list.
Indian openers to get multiple wickets in a T20I
Abhishek Sharma: 3/17 vs Zimbabwe, Harare, 2026
Abhishek: 2/3 vs England, Mumbai, 2025
Irfan Pathan: 2/17 vs England, Colombo, 2012
Abhishek Sharma overtakes Ravichandran Ashwin for his 3/17 bowling figure against Zimbabwe
In another interesting list of records, Abhishek has become one of the most successful spinners to bowl the most effective spells against Zimbabwe in the T20 International format. Ravi Bishnoi’s 4 for 13 is so far the best, which he etched in 2024, and remains the best against Zimbabwe in the format. Abhishek’s 3/17 is after Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel’s bowling figures, but ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin’s 3 for 22 in Melbourne in 2022.
Best Bowling Figures for an Indian Spinner vs Zimbabwe in T20Is
4/13 - Ravi Bishnoi, Harare, 2024
3/15 - Washington Sundar, Harare, 2024
3/17 - Axar Patel, Harare, 2015
3/17 - Abhishek Sharma, Harare, 2026
3/22 - Ravichandran Ashwin, Melbourne, 2022
Sharma has so far played 55 T20Is for India and has taken 10 wickets, including a 3-wicket spell, in 20 innings for an economy rate of 8.43.
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