India's Abhishek Sharma hit a brutal 135 to set up a crushing 150-run win over England in the fifth T20 international and seal the series 4-1 on Sunday.
Opener Abhishek's incredible 54-ball knock, laced with 13 sixes, fired India, who clinched the series in the fourth T20, to 247-9 after being invited to bat first at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.
The tourists were never in the chase despite Phil Salt's 23-ball 55 as India bowled out the tourists for 97 for their second biggest T20 victory by runs.
Abhishek also claimed two wickets in the only over he bowled with left-arm spin.
"It's a special one, coming for the country, always a great feeling," said the 24-year-old Abhishek.
"When I see it's my day, I always try to go from the first ball. And the way the coach and the captain have treated me from the first day. They've always wanted this intent, they've always backed me."
𝙒𝙄𝙉𝙉𝙀𝙍𝙎!
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 2, 2025
Congratulations #TeamIndia on winning the #INDvENG T20I series 4️⃣-1️⃣ 👏👏 🏆@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/ucvFjSAVoK
England slipped to 68-4 as skipper Jos Buttler (7), Harry Brook (2) and Liam Livingstone (9) all failed to make an impact.
Shivam Dube, a batting all-rounder who bowls medium pace, removed Salt with the first ball he bowled after he was controversially replaced by fast bowler Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute in the previous match.
The rest of the England batting fell quickly with Jacob Bethell, who made 10, the only batter to reach double figures other than Salt.
CHAKRAVARTHY SPINS A WEB
Wrist spinner Varun Chakravarthy and Dube also took two each.
Chakravarthy was named player of the series for his 14 wickets in the five matches.
Pace bowler Mohammed Shami finished with three wickets as he wrapped up the England innings in 10.3 overs.
Abhishek dominated a partnership of 115 for the second wicket with Tilak Varma following England's decision to bowl first.
The 24-year-old raced to his fifty in 17 balls with a six and then reached his second T20 century for India in 37 deliveries. Dube was the next highest scorer with 30.
End of an explosive 135-run knock from Abhishek Sharma 👏👏
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 2, 2025
He finishes with 1⃣3⃣ sixes - the most ever for an Indian batter in T20Is in Men's Cricket 🙌
Live ▶️ https://t.co/B13UlBNdFP#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/Jb9Le56aBX
Speedster Mark Wood dismissed Hardik Pandya for nine after earlier removing opener Sanju Samson.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid had Abhishek caught out in the 18th over as India lost four wickets in the final five overs.
"I've seen a lot of cricket, and I thought Abhishek's innings today was one of the best," said England captain Buttler.
Fast bowler Brydon Carse took three wickets including Suryakumar Yadav for two, with the Indian captain's batting woes showing no signs of ending.
"Some of the guys' bowling performances - even today, Brydon Carse and Mark Wood were outstanding," Buttler said of his team's positives.
India won the opening two matches before England came back to keep the series alive in the third game.
India took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the fourth T20 after Rana's inclusion in place of Dube -- not a like-for-like replacement -- angered England.
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜! 🏆
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 2, 2025
Congratulations to the Suryakumar Yadav-led #TeamIndia on the T20I series win! 👏 👏#INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @surya_14kumar pic.twitter.com/QvgUH8iClq
The two teams now head into three one-day internationals starting 6 February in Nagpur.
The series is a warm-up for the 50-over Champions Trophy starting 19 February in Pakistan and Dubai.
INDIA: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Shami.
ENGLAND: Phil Salt (wk), Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (capt), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.