Hazratullah Zazai becomes 3rd to hit 6 sixes in an over in T20s

Wednesday, 17 October 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Afghanistan’s Hazratullah Zazai became only the third batsman to hit six sixes in an over in a Twenty20 match for Kabul Zwanan against Balkh Legends in the Afghanistan Premier League 2018.

Zazai opened the Kabul batting with his team chasing a mammoth 245 for victory, courtesy Chris Gayle’s 48-ball 80. He laid into Abdullah Mazari in the fourth over of the innings, hitting all the balls in the over for sixes, as 37 runs came of the over that also had one wide ball.

As a result of Zazai’s belligerence, Kabul raced to 70 for no loss in just four overs and looked good to push Balkh to the wire. In the process, Zazai also brought up his half-century off just 12 balls, equalling the record for the fastest T20 half-century, jointly held by Yuvraj Singh and Gayle.

While Singh had hit a 12-ball 50 against England in the ICC World T20 2007 when he had smashed Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over, Gayle had achieved this feat batting for Melbourne Renegades against Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League 2016.

Zazai’s efforts could not, however, take his team to victory, as Kabul were restricted to 223/7 in their 20 overs, with Zazai making 62 off just 17 balls with four fours and seven sixes. He was caught by Gulbadin Naib off the bowling of Ben Laughlin, who ended with three wickets.

The 20-year-old Zazai, who recently made his one-day international debut against Ireland, called it a “proud moment”.

“It is a very enjoyable moment for me that my name is now linked to so many big names of the game, who are really legends of the game,” he said after the match.

“It was a surreal moment for me to perform in front of my idol (Gayle). I was just trying to play my natural game and did not in any way think of outshining anyone.”

Worcestershire batsman Ross Whiteley had also achieved the feat in T20s when he slammed Yorkshire spinner Kark Carver for six sixes in a domestic match in 2017. In other competitive cricket, Sir Garfield Sobers, Ravi Shastri and Herschelle Gibbs are the three men to have sent all deliveries of an over across the boundary line.