Cricket News : Gaikwad enters record books after smashing seven sixes in an over

Ruturaj Gaikwad, the skipper and opener for Maharashtra, struck seven sixes in one over against Uttar Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarterfinal in Ahmedabad, setting a record in List A cricket. The Maharashtra innings, which began with the scoreboard reading 272 for 5, and ended with Maharashtra on 315 for 5, was down to its penultimate over.

The combined effort of Brett Hampton and Joe Carter off Willem Ludick for Northern Districts against Central Districts in a Ford Trophy game in 2018 resulted in 43 runs from the over, which also entered the record records.

Shiva Singh, a left-arm spinner, began the over on Monday in Ahmedabad by operating from close to the wicket. A low full toss was smoked over wide long-on for the first ball. The second shot was in the arc and fell to the ground with a direct hit. Gaikwad swung the third, which was shorter, over the rope at a deep square leg.

For the fourth ball, Shiva altered his line and swung outside off stump, but the length was ideal for Gaikwad to drive over long-off. The free hit flew past long-on in the fifth, which went about in the same way but ended in a no-ball. Gaikwad reached his double-century with the hit, which was the sixth six in five legal deliveries.

Shiva finally overcame the wicket with the penultimate ball, which again sailed over deep midwicket while still in the arc on middle stump. This completed Gaikwad's 7th six in 6legal deliveries.

Gaikwad scored 220 runs off 159 balls, remaining unbeaten, with ten fours and 16 sixes. Shiva's dismal record reads: 0 for 88 from nine overs. Gaikwad performed essentially alone, with the other Maharashtra hitters scoring a combined 96 runs from 142 balls.

While 36 runs in an over in a first-class match is typically considered the record, it has actually been surpassed twice, by Garry Sobers and Ravi Shastri. The largest, most likely, is the 77 runs Wellington's Bert Vance gave up to Canterburyin a Shell Trophy match in February 1990 under somewhat dubious circumstances.

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