Kathmandu: In a sensational display of power hitting, Nepali all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee etched his name in cricketing history by smashing six sixes in an over during the ACC Men’s T20I Premier Cup clash against Qatar in Al Amerat, Oman.
Starting the final over on a brisk 28 off 15 balls, Airee unleashed an onslaught on medium-pacer Kamran Khan, dispatching every delivery over the ropes to finish on 64 off just 21 deliveries.
This feat marks Airee as only the third international cricketer to achieve such a milestone in Men’s T20Is, joining the elite company of Yuvraj Singh and Kieron Pollard.
Airee’s history-making moment wasn’t a first, as he had previously achieved a similar feat during the Asian Games in 2023, though spread across two overs.
Yuvraj was the first to do so in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2007 off Stuart Broad. Pollard joined him in 2021 by smashing Akila Dananjaya for six sixes in Coolidge.
Airee also became the fifth batter to do so in all internationals.
In ODI cricket, South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs and the United States’ Jaskaran Malhotra have both hammered six sixes in an over. Gibbs did it during the 2007 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match against the Netherlands. Malhotra joined the list in 2021 against Papua New Guinea.
Opting to bat first at Al Amerat, Nepal posted a big total of 210/7 in the allotted 20 overs. Nepal had an average start, losing Kushal Bhurtel for 12 runs before Aasif Sheikh and Rohit Paudel shared a 49-run partnership for the second wicket. Rohit departed for 18, but Aasif anchored the inning with a 53-run partnership along with Kushal Malla, who smacked an 18-ball 35.
Aasif scored 52 runs from 41 balls. Sundeep Jora (7), Gulshan Jha (5), and Bibek Yadav (5) all departed cheaply. It was Dipendra Singh Airee who changed the game for Nepal in the final over, remaining unbeaten at 64 off 21 balls.
For Qatar, Himanshu Rathod and Musawar Shah picked up three wickets each. In reply, Qatar managed to score 178/9 in the 20 overs. Skipper Muhammad Tanveer was the top scorer with 63 runs from 33 balls. Mohammad Ahnaff and Himansu Rathod scored 23 and 22 runs respectively.
For Nepal, Lalit Rajbanshi (4-0-23-2), Dipendra Singh Airee (4-0-34-2), and Gulshan Jha (2-0-24-2) shined with the ball, grabbing two wickets each. Kushal Malla and Abinash Bohara also took one wicket each.
In its third game, Nepal will play against Hong Kong on Monday.
In the opening game of the tournament, Nepal recorded a hard fought victory against Malaysia by five wickets.
The ACC Men’s T20I Premier Cup serves as the qualifying tournament for the 2025 Asia Cup, with the winner earning a spot in the main event. Nepal, the defending champions, are looking to secure their place in the Asia Cup for the second consecutive time.
Comment