Akash Choudhary of Meghalaya wrote his name in the record books with the fastest ever first-class fifty, reaching the milestone off 11 balls, in a fierce show of power-hitting. The 25-year-old allrounder smashed an unheard-of eight back-to-back sixes, including six in one over, in the Ranji Trophy Plate Group match against Arunachal Pradesh in Surat.
Third Batter Ever to Hit Six Sixes in an Over
By doing so, Akash Choudhary became the third batsman in first-class cricket to complete the rare feat of six sixes in an over, joining the likes of the great Sir Garry Sobers and Ravi Shastri. Notably, Mike Procter had also managed six consecutive sixes, but across two overs, making Choudhary’s achievement even more remarkable.
Record-Breaking Innings: 11-Ball Fifty with Eight Consecutive Sixes
Coming in at No. 8 when Meghalaya were 576 for 6, Choudhary started cautiously with a dot and two singles before letting loose a brutal assault on left-arm spinner Limar Dabi in the 126th over.
He followed this with eight successive sixes, bringing up his 50 in a mere 11 deliveries, thereby breaching a previous record by Wayne White of 12 balls for Leicestershire against Essex in 2012.
Choudhary’s half-century needed all of nine minutes the second-fastest in first-class cricket, behind Clive Inman’s eight-minute fifty way back in 1965.
Meghalaya Declare at 628/6 as Arunachal Struggle
Choudhary remained undefeated on 50 off 14 balls, ending his blistering innings with three dot balls before Meghalaya declared at 628 for 6. In response, Arunachal Pradesh were bowled out for 73, with Choudhary taking one wicket. Following on, the opposition ended the day at 29 for 3, with Choudhary striking twice more.
Akash Choudhary’s Career Overview
This record-breaking performance occurred in Choudhary’s 31st first-class match. Prior to this innings, he had a total of 503 runs at an average of 14.37, to go along with two prior half-centuries. He also made a strong performance in the previous match as well versus Bihar, where he scored 60 runs from 62 balls* with four sixes.
Akash Choudhary has been just as effective with the ball, having 87 first-class wickets at 29.97, 37 List-A wickets at 29.24, and 28 T20 wickets at 26.25.
Fastest Ever First-Class Fifty: A Moment for the Ages
Choudhary’s brilliant batting has not only shattered long-records, but he has also highlighted Meghalaya’s emerging impact in Indian domestic cricket. His 11-ball fifty, with eight-consecutive sixes, has now been endorsed as the fastest ever first-class fifty, and continues to showcase him as one of the most prolific power-hitters in the sport.
