India’s first-class cricketer has created history by hitting 8 consecutive sixes off not 6 but 8 balls. Akash Kumar Chaudhary, who plays for the Indian state of Meghalaya, scored the fastest half-century in the history of first-class cricket by hitting 8 consecutive sixes while batting against Arunachal Pradesh in a Ranji Trophy plate group match.
Akash Kumar completed his 50 runs in just 11 balls and 9 minutes. He completed his half-century by hitting 6 sixes in an over and 8 consecutive sixes in total. Akash, after taking a dot and 2 singles in the opening innings, hit 6 consecutive sixes in an over off left-arm spinner Lamar Dabi.
He thus became the third player in the history of first-class cricket to hit 6 sixes in an over. Before that, only Garfield Sobers (1968) and Ravi Shastri (1985) had achieved this feat. Akash Kumar then hit 2 more sixes in the next over to complete his half-century in just 11 balls and broke the world record for the fastest fifty in first-class cricket.
Previously, the world record for the fastest fifty in first-class cricket was held by former English cricketer Wayne White, who scored a half-century off 12 balls against Essex in 2012. This is the first time a batsman has hit 8 consecutive sixes in first-class cricket.
