Salman Nizar blasts 11 sixes in 13 balls in KCL carnage

Salman Nizar delivered a power-hitting spectacle for Calicut Globstars against Adani Trivandrum Royals in the Kerala Cricket League, hammering 11 sixes in the last 13 balls and leaving the opposition shellshocked and spectators thrilled on Saturday.

It was pure mayhem at the Greenfield International Stadium as Nizar launched a brutal assault in the first innings. His relentless onslaught began in the penultimate over, showing no mercy to Basil Thampi as he smashed five sixes on the trot to plunder 31 runs.

Hitting six sixes in an over remains a rare feat in T20 cricket, but Nizar made it look effortless. In the final over, he turned into a nightmare for Abhijith Praveen, hammering six towering sixes in six balls to collect 40 runs—helped along by a wide and a double off a no-ball. He returned unbeaten on 86 off just 26 deliveries, with 11 sixes and 2 fours, powering Calicut to a daunting total of 186 for 6.

After the dust settled, the Royals began their chase of 187. They lost opener Vishnu Raj early but managed to finish the powerplay at 45 for 1. Riya Basheer, the early aggressor for Trivandrum Royals, perished after holing out to Akhil Dev off Harikrishnan. The floodgates opened soon after, and the Royals stumbled from 56 for 1 to 80 for 4 by the end of the 12th over.

Sanjeev Satheresan attempted to revive the chase, taking 23 runs off Akhil Dev in the 13th over to reduce the equation to 83 runs required from the final seven overs. He kept fighting even as wickets tumbled around him.

Eventually, his resistance ended on 34 off 23 balls as Trivandrum Royals were bowled out for 173, falling 13 runs short with three balls still remaining.