Right-hander Ruturaj Gaikwad hit a stunning seven sixes in an over on Monday, a first in List A cricket, while en route to a 220 not out for Maharashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-final against Uttar Pradesh at the Narendra Stadium Modi B Ground in Ahmedabad.
Gaikwad, who is the captain of Maharashtra in this match, achieved this feat in the 49th over of the innings. The over was bowled by Uttar Pradesh left-arm spinner Shiva Singh, who worked around the wicket. Gaikwad was smashing sixes over deep mid-wicket, straight down the ground and deep square leg.
Shiva then came in with a rail change but the result was the same as Gaikwad smashed back-to-back sixes over the long-on fence. A no-ball was signaled and Gaikwad hit Shiva over long-on for another six, also getting a right-handed hit for his first double century in List A cricket in 153 balls.
On the last ball, Shiva went over the corner of the wicket but it was to no avail as Gaikwad sent it high over mid-wicket for 43 runs. Gaikwad eventually finished on 220 not out off 159 balls, with 10 fours and 16 sixes as Maharashtra posted 330/5 in their 50 overs as 58 runs came from the last two overs.
Shiva, who was at the receiving end of Gaikwad’s attack, finished with 0/88 from nine overs. The Maharashtra innings was a one-man innings for Gaikwad as the rest of the batsmen combined for just 96 runs off 142 balls.
Gaikwad, who made 43 runs with that over, went into the record books as the most expensive over in List A cricket, equaling the combined effort of Brett Hampton and Joe Carter, ahead of Willem Ludick, for Northern Counties against Central Counties in the Ford Trophy. play in New Zealand in 2018.
He also became the first Indian batsman to score 43 runs off an over in List-A cricket.
The 25-year-old Gaikwad also became the second batsman in the ongoing edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy to reach the double-century mark after Tamil Nadu’s Narayan Jagadeesan smashed 277 against Arunachal Pradesh in Bengaluru.