Pakistan’s opening game in the 2025 Hong Kong International Sixes got a little hairy before the team’s captain Abbas Afridi took over the game to see his side through.
Chasing a demanding 124 runs for the win, Pakistan were in a spot of bother before Abbas Afridi unleashed an assault very rarely seen in cricket—even in the six-over game.
With Pakistan sitting at 57/1 after four overs, the team needed a miracle to eke out a win. The 24-year-old all-rounder took the reins, smashing six sixes in the fifth over bowled by Yasin Patel, which included a no-ball, taking 38 runs off the target in the process. The job wasn’t done, however, as he started the final over with a six as well, retiring out on 55 off just 12 balls, with 8 sixes and 1 four to his name.
Adnan Idrees then took over the mantle, hitting 6, 4, 6, 6, 1 in the next five balls to get Pakistan home.
The Hong Kong International Sixes is known for its fast-paced entertainment and big-hitting brilliance, but what Abbas Afridi has done has never been achieved before. By all available accounts, this is the first time a batter has hit six sixes in an over during the competition.
Pakistan will next face arch-rivals India later today at 12:35 pm, and with the team now brimming with confidence and their young all-rounder in sensational form, they look primed to go deep into the tournament.
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