Afghanistan batsman Hazratullah Zazai achieved one of the rare feats in the game of cricket when he smashed six sixes in an over during an Afghanistan Premier League Twenty 20 match in Sharjah on Sunday. Only Sir Garfield Sobers, Ravi Shastri, Herschelle Gibbs and Yuvraj Singh have managed the feat in the history of the game.
Playing for Kabul Zwanan, the 20-year-old produced a whirlwind 12-ball half-century against the Balkh Legends.
Left-arm spinner Abdullah Mazari was the bowler who bore the brunt of Hazratullah’s fury. Abdullah went on to concede 37 runs in the over, thanks to a wide.
The left-hander smashed 62 from just 17 balls, which included seven sixes, but that was still not enough to take his side to victory. Zwanan, who were chasing a mammoth target of 245, fell short by 21 runs. Incidentally, Gayle, whose joint-record for fastest T20 fifty was equalled by Zazai, had hammered 80 off 48 balls for Balkh Legends and his innings included as many as 10 sixes.
“It was a surreal moment for me to perform in front of my idol,” said Zazai, “I was trying to play my natural game and wasn’t thinking of outshining anybody.”
“It’s a very proud moment for me,” said Zazai. “It’s a very enjoyable moment for me that my name is now linked to so many big names of the game, the real legends,” he added.
Watch the record-breaking innings: