Wicket-keeper batsman Akash Thapa of Chitawan district cricket team achieved a rare feat in cricket on Monday as he hit six sixes off an over in a match of the regional selection tournament of Region No 8 (Pohara) for the upcoming National T20 Tournament.
Akash Thapa. (Photo Courtesy: Santosh Mishra)
Thapa clobbered all the six balls out of the boundary in the 10th over of the innings bowled by off-spinner Rikesh Gupta of Syangja. Thapa scored 86 runs off 38 balls in the match. He struck nine sixes in total.
“The first ball was a loose one and I hit it for a six. The second ball was over-pitched but I stepped out to hit it and it went for another six. It gave me confidence to hit the rest,” said Thapa to Republica. “Senior player Amrit Shrestha was at the non-striker end. He asked me to play sensible after my first six but as he saw the second six, he encouraged me to hit more,” said the 18-year old, who has been training in Chitawan Cricket Academy since three years with former national team captain Raju Khadka,.
The previous record of best score in an over belongs to Khadka, who had hit five consecutive sixes and a single to Sanjam Regmi in the National One-Day Tournament in 2060 BS.
“It is an individual achievement though it is against relatively easier opponent,” said Khadka about the achievement of his student.
“It is a rare feat even in international cricket but I witnessed it happen in a domestic tournament today (Monday),” said Santosh Mishra, the on-field umpire of the match. “I was surprised and also tired off raising my hands to sign sixes,” he added jokingly.
Following Thapa’s brilliant batting, Chitwan put up 215 runs target and bowled out Syangja for 133 runs.