On Tuesday a new world record has been set for the maximum number of runs in a single over in T20 international cricket. Samoa middle-order batter Darius Visser smashed 39 runs against Vanuatu in the T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Region Qualifier in the capital city of Apia.
Visser got hold of pacer Nalin Nipiko who also stepped over the popping crease thrice in the over. Playing his third T20I the 28-year-old made a blistering 132 off just 62 balls.
Visser is the first Samoan batter to score a hundred in this format, and his knock guided the side to a competitive 174 all out.
The next highest score in Samoa innings was 16 by captain Caleb Jasmat. In reply, Vanuatu gave a strong chase but ended up at 164 for nine, losing the match by 10 runs.
Opener Nipiko nearly amended his waywardness with the ball with a 73 off 52 balls with six fours and three sixes. He had good support from skipper Joshua Rasu (23 off 14 balls) and Tim Cutler (21 off 11 balls) but Vanuatu fell short.
Previously, there were five occasions when a bowler conceded 36 runs in an over and they were Stuart Broad (2007), Akila Dananjaya (2021), Karim Jannat (2024), Kamran Khan (2024) and Azmatullah Omarzai (2024).
Yuvraj Singh smacked Broad for six sixes. West Indies hard-hitting batter Kieron Pollard too got hold of Sri Lankan offie Dananjaya during a T20I game.
On the other two occasions although the batters did not hit six sixes the bowlers still managed to concede 36 runs courtesy of their lack of discipline and slipping in extras.
Nicholas Pooran smacked Karim Janat for 36 runs at the T20 World Cup 2024 and Indian batters Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh combined to squeeze 36 against Kamran Khan earlier this year in January in a bilateral series.
(With agency inputs)
