Surat: Meghalaya’s Akash Kumar Choudhary on Sunday became the first player to hit eight sixes in a row in First-Class cricket while also recording the fastest half-century in the format, off only 11 deliveries, during a Ranji Trophy Plate Group match against Arunachal Pradesh here.
Batting at No. 8, 25-year-old Choudhary achieved the stunning feat on the second day of the match at the CK Pithawala Ground here. He remained not out on 50 off 14 balls, helping Meghalaya declared their first innings at a mammoth 628 for 6.
Choudhary broke the previous record of fastest fifty in First-Class cricket, which was set by Leicestershire’s Wayne White in 12 deliveries against Essex in 2012.
He also became only the third player ever to hit six sixes in a row in First-Class cricket after the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers of the West Indies and India’s Ravi Shastri.
Choudhary recorded the feat with Meghalaya cruising at 576 for six. Having started his innings with a dot and two singles, the right-handed batter hit the next eight deliveries for sixes. He sent each of Limar Dabi’s deliveries of the 126th over flying over the ropes.
Before Sunday’s outing, Choudhary averaged 14.37 with only two fifties in 30 First-Class matches, including this year’s Duleep Trophy for the North East Zone. He has also played 28 List-A matches and 20 T20 matches.
Sobers was the first to record the feat of six sixes in an over in August 1968 when he hammered Malcolm Nash during a County match between Nottinghamshire and Glamorgan.
Former India all-rounder and head coach Shastri recorded his six consecutive sixes off Tilak Raj while playing for Bombay against Baroda during the Ranji Trophy 1984-85 match at the Wankhede Stadium.
In reply to Meghalaya’s 628 for 6 declared, Arunachal Pradesh were shot out for a mere 73 in their first innings and were struggling again at 29 for three after following on, trailing by a massive 526 runs.
