Watch: Nicholas Pooran slams 36 runs in an over off Gujarat Titans bowler
West Indies star batter Nicholas Pooran made history by smashing 36 runs in one over in a T20 World Cup 2024 Group C game against Afghanistan, which took place on June 18 at the Daren Sammy Stadium in Gros Islet. Notably, this was just one of six occasions that 36 runs have been scored in an over in the history of T20I cricket. The Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai delivered a no-ball in the fourth over of the West Indies innings, alongside five wides and four leg byes, which helped Pooran, who accumulated 36 runs at bat in a single over.
The over began with a big and wide delivery from Omarzai, which Pooran somehow managed to knock for a six over the third man. The next ball was hit for four when the right-arm pacer overstepped. Omarzai's following ball went for five wides, which makes the situation worse for him. Following that, the 24-year-old cricketer's attempt at a bouncer went over the head of the West Indies batter. Omarzai did not get any relief as the free-hit continued. However, Pooran failed to take advantage of it; otherwise, it would have crossed over 36 runs.
Afghanistan's luck failed to work as the third over's clean delivery hit Pooran's pads and beat him, leading to four leg byes. Notably, Pooran hammered Omarzai for two sixes and a four in the last three balls of the over, increasing the agony of the Afghans. Meanwhile, Omarzai became the second fast bowler from Afghanistan to concede 36 runs in an over, after Karim Janat. Earlier in the year, Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh from India smashed Janat for 36 runs.
Nicholas Pooran hammered 24 runs in the 18th over of Afghan spinner Rashid Khan
Furthermore, the 28-year-old cricketer's batting masterclass didn't stop there. He surpassed Chris Gayle's milestone for the most sixes by a West Indies hitter in T20Is when he smashed Rashid Khan for 24 runs in the 18th over. Currently, Gayle leads with 124 T20I sixes, whereas Nicholas Pooran has 128. In addition, the left-handed batter became just the sixth player to hit 500 or more sixes in men's T20 cricket. The southpaw had amassed 98 runs from 53 balls in the game against Afghanistan.
Both Afghanistan and the West Indies have already made it to the Super 8's of the T20 World Cup 2024 ahead of this game.
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