India batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad on Monday smashed an unprecedented seven consecutive sixes in one of the more than 50-over domestic matches — courtesy of a no-ball. Gaikwad, who played one ODI and nine Twenty20 matches for India, smashed 42 runs for Maharashtra in seven deliveries against Uttar Pradesh.
The quarter-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy — India’s inter-state 50-over competition — was held at the world’s largest cricket stadium, in Ahmedabad. Gaikwad, 25, finished unbeaten on 220 as his team made 330-5.
Left-arm spinner Shiva Singh was at the receiving end of his six-hitting blitz in the 49th over.
Gaikwad became the first player to hit seven sixes in one match in the List A category.
But New Zealand’s Lee Germon holds the all-time List A record with eight sixes in an extraordinary 77-run over of multiple deliberate wides and no-balls in a 1990 Shell Trophy match, when Wellington deliberately conceded runs to try to tempt Canterbury into carelessness.
Gaikwad made his T20 international debut last year after performing well as an attacking opener with Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.
It was the second record by an Indian batsman in as many weeks, after Tamil Nadu’s N Jagadeesan smashed 277 against Arunachal Pradesh, the highest score in the 50-over format, surpassing England’s Alistair Brown’s 268 against Glamorgan in 2002.
Maharashtra outclassed Uttar Pradesh by 58 runs to enter the semi-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy here on Monday.
Opting to bowl, Uttar Pradesh were stunned as the Maharashtra skipper hammered the Motera B ground with his knock of 220 that came off 159 balls, pushing Maharashtra to 330 for five.
In reply, wicketkeeper-batter Aryan Juyal led the match for UP with a 143-ball 159 but it was not enough as they folded for 272 in 47.4 overs.
Rajvardhan Hangargekar took a maiden five-wicket haul (5/53) and was the wrecker-in-chief for Maharashtra.
The penultimate over of Maharashtra’s innings was the most eventful as Gaikwad unleashed his fury against the hapless UP left-arm spinner Shiva Singh, smashing him for seven sixes in a row thanks to a no-ball while making List A record.
He also became the only batter in limited overs cricket to score 43 runs in a single over.
The first ball of the 49th over was a low full-toss and Gaikwad drove it to deep midwicket for the first six. The second one was hit straight down the ground, as he cleared deep square leg for his third maximum. The fourth delivery was tonked to long-off, the fifth, a no-ball, was played almost in the same direction, and the batter took advantage of the free hit by hammering it over long-on and reached his double century .
The seventh and final ball was smashed to deep midwicket, as the UP spinner returned with expensive figures of 0/88 from nine overs.
Overall, Gaikwad hit 16 sixes and 10 fours and did the bulk of the scoring while the rest of his teammates managed just 96 runs from 142 deliveries.
Short Scores:
Maharashtra 330/5; 50 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 220, Ankit Bawne 37, Azim Kazi 37; Kartik Tyagi 3/66) b Uttar Pradesh 272; 47.4 overs (Aryan Juyal 159, Shivam Sharma 33; Rajvardhan Hangargekar 5/53, Satyajeet Bachhav 2/52) by 58 runs.
