Tuesday witnessed an incredible moment in the T20 World Cup Sub Regional East Asia-Pacific Qualifier A, as a new record was established for the most runs in a single over in T20 International cricket. During a match featuring Samoa against Vanuatu, 39 runs were smashed in a single over, surpassing the previous record and etching a new milestone in cricket history.
The remarkable incident unfolded when Samoa’s batter, Darius Visser, took on Vanuatu’s bowler, Nalin Nipiko, hitting an astounding six sixes in one over. However, the over was marred by three no-balls from Nipiko, contributing to a record-breaking total of 39 runs, the highest ever recorded in a T20I over.
This extraordinary feat outstrips the 36-run record previously held by several cricketing giants including Yuvraj Singh, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Dipendra Singh Airee, and the pair of Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh. All these players had achieved the milestone of six sixes in an over, but none had accumulated the total runs that Visser did due to the additional no-balls.
Revisiting the historical records, Yuvraj Singh first accomplished this distinguished feat during the T20 World Cup 2007, when he hit six sixes off an over bowled by England’s Stuart Broad, accumulating 36 runs. Following Yuvraj, Kieron Pollard matched this record in 2021 by hitting six maximums against Akila Dananjaya. In a joint effort, Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh equaled the record of 36 with the help of an extra, hitting against Afghanistan’s Karim Janat in January 2024.
In April 2024, Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee entered this elite club by smashing six sixes against Kamran Khan of Qatar in a T20I match. The most recent previous occurrence was Nicholas Pooran, who surged into the record books with 26 runs off the bat and an additional 10 extras off Azmatullah Omarzai in June 2024.
Circling back to the groundbreaking over played between Samoa and Vanuatu, it started with a sequence of remarkable shots by Visser. He hit three consecutive sixes from the first three deliveries bowled by Nipiko. Following these, a no-ball was bowled, which resulted in no runs being added off the bat, but still counted towards the over’s total.
. This brought the tally to 19 runs from the first three legal deliveries.
Visser’s onslaught continued as he struck another six off the over’s fourth legal ball. The fifth legal delivery resulted in a dot ball; however, Nipiko bowled two more no-balls afterwards, one of which was dispatched for another six by Visser. The final legal ball of the over saw Visser smashing yet another maximum, concluding an over that amassed a grand total of 39 runs.
However, it is important to note the distinction in the scoring. While Visser personally accumulated 36 runs off the bat, he did not receive credit for the three runs from the no-balls. In cricket scoring terms, these no-ball runs were added to Nipiko’s account as extras, contributing to the team’s total but not to Visser’s individual tally. Thus, the over’s aggregate reached a unique 39 runs, a feat unseen in T20I cricket.
This new record highlights the unpredictable and thrilling nature of T20 cricket, where single overs can dramatically shift the momentum and redefine records. Darius Visser’s heroic over has now set a new benchmark for future cricketers to aspire to, and Nalin Nipiko’s over will be remembered for its historic context.
As the T20 World Cup Sub Regional East Asia-Pacific Qualifier A continues, this record is likely to be a talking point among cricket enthusiasts, analysts, and players alike.It’s a testament to the evolving and exciting nature of T20 cricket, capturing the essence of quick, high-stakes gameplay where records can be shattered in mere minutes. This historic event is bound to inspire many budding cricketers and will remain etched in the annals of cricket for years to come.
