West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran hits six against Afghanistan during an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup cricket match at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia, Monday, June 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Nicolas Pooran recorded 36 runs in an over off Afghan pacer Azmatullah Omarzai.
West Indies have capped off the group stage of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup on a triumphant note. The co-hosts crushed Afghanistan in a one-sided contest in Gros Islet on June 18. Making the occasion more special, the Caribbean equalled a monumental T20 World Cup record of registering the most runs in an over. It was Nicholas Pooran, who showcased his big-hitting prowess on the batting-friendly surface to achieve the historic feat.
The West Indies batter recorded 36 runs in an over off Afghan pacer Azmatullah Omarzai. In the inaugural T20 World Cup, India legend Yuvraj Singh struck six sixes in an over off England’s Stuart Broad. Pooran is only the second batter to breach the 36-run mark in a T20 World Cup game.
It happened in the fourth over of the West Indies inning. Nicholas Pooran started off with a six before Azmatullah Omarzai bowled a no-ball and conceded a four. The Afghan speedster then attempted a bouncer and the ball went over the keeper’s head.
T20 World Cup 2024: Azmatullah Omarzai Concedes 36 Runs in an Over; Nicholas Pooran Smashes 26
Pooran failed to capitalise on the free hit and was castled with a toe-crushing yorker. In the next delivery, Omarzai gave away four runs for a leg bye. Pooran then smashed another boundary which he followed up with back-to-back sixes.
Azmatullah Omarzai conceded as many as 10 extra runs in that over. Riding in Nicholas Pooran’s blistering show, the West Indies went on to break another T20 World Cup record, registering the most runs in the powerplay– 93.
This is only the fifth time in T20 cricket that 36 runs have been scored in an over. Apart from Yuvraj Singh, India’s Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh also made it happen against Afghanistan bowler Karim Janat. In 2021, former West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard struck 36 runs in an over off Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya in Coolidge. Nepal star Dipendra Singh Airee achieved the feat against Qatar’s Kamran Khan in Al Amerat earlier this year.
Nicholas Pooran took only 53 balls to score 98 runs in the last Group C fixture against Afghanistan. His thunderous knock, which was laced with six boundaries and eight sixes, helped the West Indies post 218 on the board. In response, Afghanistan were bundled out for 114 runs in 16.2 overs.
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