West Indies wicket-keeper batsman Nicholas Pooran is currently among the most dangerous batsmen in the world. His ability to bat six times is unmatched and he is going through a tough time at the moment.
During the first T20I against South Africa at Tarouba, Pooran once again showed his class and led West Indies to a superb victory. WI openers Alick Athanaze and Shai Hope had already laid a solid foundation and scored 84 runs for the first wicket. Pooran came in at No. 3 and had full licence to go after South Africa’s inexperienced bowling attack.
He did not wait to settle down and immediately showed an attacking intent. He also added 21 runs in South African captain Aiden Markram’s only over of the match. Pooran remained unbeaten on 65 runs in just 26 balls, which included 2 fours and 7 sixes.
The left-hander managed to take his team to the finish line, proving how much he has improved over the years. As a result, West Indies reached the target in 17.5 overs.
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Nicholas Pooran breaks records
During his knock, Nicholas Pooran created history by moving into third place on the list of most sixes hit by a player in T20I cricket. Pooran has hit 139 sixes in 96 T20Is so far.
After the first T20I against South Africa, he has overtaken Jos Buttler, Suryakumar Yadav and Glenn Maxwell, who are fourth, fifth and sixth on the list respectively. Buttler has hit 137 sixes in 124 matches while Surya has hit 136 sixes so far in 71 T20Is. Maxwell has hit 134 sixes in 113 games so far.
While Nicholas Pooran has overtaken these batsmen, he is just behind Rohit Sharma and Martin Guptill on this list. Rohit has hit 205 sixes in 159 T20Is, while Guptill has hit 173 sixes in 122 matches so far.
Rohit is known for his ability to hit sixes. He is also the first and only man so far to hit 200 sixes in T20I cricket. However, that figure will not be increased now as Rohit Sharma announced his retirement at the end of the 2024 T20 World Cup when India lifted the trophy.
Most sixes in T20 cricket
As for the most number of sixes in T20, Nicholas Pooran currently occupies the fifth spot on the list. He has hit 537 sixes in 352 T20s played so far. Chris Gayle has hit the most number of sixes in T20 cricket with a staggering 1056 sixes in 463 T20s.
Gayle’s West Indies teammate Kieron Pollard is second on the list with 877 sixes. Andre Russell is third with 704 sixes, while New Zealander Colin Munro has hit 548 sixes so far and is fourth on the list.
Coming into the match, hosts West Indies defeated South Africa by 7 wickets with 13 balls to spare. Batting first, South Africa scored 174-7 with Tristan Stubbs and Patrick Kruger. But the score was not enough on a batting-friendly wicket as West Indies’ top three batsmen Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran chased down the target with ease in the end.
