Ranji Trophy [WATCH]: 6,6,6,6,6,6,6,6 – Akash Choudhary hits the fastest fifty in first-class cricket

In a stunning display of power hitting that has captured the cricketing world’s attention, Meghalaya’s Akash Kumar Choudhary etched his name in history by smashing the fastest fifty ever recorded in first-class cricket. The 25-year-old accomplished this remarkable feat in just 11 balls during a Ranji Trophy Plate Group match against Arunachal Pradesh held in Surat.

Akash Choudhary shatters record with fastest fifty in first-class cricket

Choudhary’s electrifying innings broke the long-standing record of 12 balls set by England’s Wayne White in 2012, redefining the limits of explosive batting in the longer format of the game. Choudhary, who came to bat at number eight with Meghalaya already dominant at 576 for six, wasted no time showcasing his power.

He blasted eight sixes in a row, including the unprecedented feat of six sixes in a single over off the bowling of left-arm spinner Limar Dabi. This spectacular over made Choudhary only the third player in first-class cricket history, after legends Garry Sobers and Ravi Shastri, to hit six sixes in one over. Going one step beyond, Akash became the first-ever cricketer to hit eight consecutive sixes in the format. He remained unbeaten on 50 off just 14 balls as Meghalaya declared their innings at a massive 628 for six, putting immense pressure on their opponents.

Here’s the video:

🚨 Record Alert 🚨

First player to hit eight consecutive sixes in first-class cricket ✅

Fastest fifty, off just 11 balls, in first-class cricket ✅

Meghalaya's Akash Kumar etched his name in the record books with a blistering knock of 50*(14) in the Plate Group match against…

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic)

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Chaudhary’s record-breaking fifty

Choudhary’s innings has rewritten the records of first-class cricket globally. His ability to combine aggressive strokeplay with precision timing in the red-ball format has stunned fans and experts alike. Prior to this innings, the record for the fastest fifty in first-class cricket was 12 balls by White for Leicestershire against Essex. Others who come close in this elite list include Michael van Vuuren (13 balls), Ned Eckersley (14 balls), and Bandeep Singh (15 balls), but none matched Choudhary’s blazing pace and consistency of six-hitting.

This innings not only highlights Choudhary’s batting prowess but also his rising stature in Indian domestic cricket. Before this knock, he had played 31 matches since his debut in 2019, scoring over 500 runs at an average of around 14. While those numbers describe an ordinary career so far, this record-breaking performance signals Choudhary’s potential as a formidable lower-order hitter capable of changing games rapidly. His achievement has set a new benchmark for power hitters in first-class cricket, proving that traditional longer formats can witness moments of breathtaking hitting comparable to the shortest formats.

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