Thapa struck six consecutive sixes balls in the 10th over of the innings bowled by off-spinner Rikesh Gupta of Syangja. He hit a total of nine sixes during his knock of 86 runs off 38 balls in the match.[break]
´The first ball was a loose one and I hit it for a six. The second ball was over-pitched but I stepped out to hit it and it went for another six. It gave me confidence to hit more,´ Thapa told Republica. ´Senior player Amrit Shrestha was at the non-striker"s end. He asked me to play sensibly after my first six but as he saw the second six, he encouraged me to hit more,´ said the 18-year-old, who has been training in Chitwan Cricket Academy for the past three years with former national team captain Raju Khadka.
The previous record of highest score in an over belongs to Khadka, who had hit five consecutive sixes and a single off Sanjam Regmi during the National One-Day Tournament in 2060 BS.
´It is an individual achievement though it was against a relatively easier opponent,´ said Khadka. ´It is a rare feat even in international cricket but I witnessed it in a domestic tournament today [Monday],´ said Santosh Mishra, the on-field umpire of the match. ´I was surprised and also tired of raising my hands to signal sixes,´ he quipped.
Following Thapa"s brilliant batting, Chitwan set a 215-run target and bowled Syangja out for 133 runs.
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