For the first time in nearly two centuries of first-class cricket and over ninety years of the Ranji Trophy, a batter has achieved a feat previously thought impossible: eight consecutive sixes and a half-century in just 11 balls. The man behind this jaw-dropping accomplishment is Akash Choudhary, representing Meghalaya — a region rarely in the national cricketing spotlight.
Despite the whirlwind of attention, Choudhary, 25, remains grounded. “It won’t change much overnight,” he said calmly after the match. “I still have to do the same things — bowl for my team, take wickets, and bat according to the situation.”
Choudhary’s innings came during a Ranji Plate match against Arunachal Pradesh, one of India’s less experienced sides. He launched eight successive sixes — first off left-arm spinner Limar Dabi, then off off-spinner T. Mohit — with most clearing the long-on and long-off boundaries. By reaching fifty in just 11 balls, he surpassed the previous benchmark set by legends such as Gary Sobers and Ravi Shastri, who had each hit six sixes in a single over.
Reflecting on his performance, Choudhary noted, “The pitch had low bounce, the ball was coming nicely, and I felt hitting straight was the easiest option — so I kept going that way.”
Choudhary comes from modest beginnings in Shillong. His father is a welder, and his mother a tailor. “It might help me, but I’m not thinking about that. It’s not in my control,” he said when asked about potential IPL interest. “I’m just playing my cricket and focusing on my performance.”
A right-arm pacer and all-rounder, Choudhary admires Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Hardik Pandya. He began playing local tennis-ball matches before representing school and regional sides, eventually being noticed at BCCI/NCA North-East trials. He made his first-class, List A, and T20 debuts for Meghalaya in 2019, and holds a degree in economics.
Currently, Meghalaya are in a strong position in the Ranji Plate group and are preparing for their final league match against Manipur — a contest that could determine their place in the final. “If we want to reach the final, we must perform well in this match,” Choudhary said. “Our aim is to move up to the Elite Group and stay there.”
Through the storm of media attention and social media virality, Choudhary’s ethos remains simple: focus on the game, respect the process, and let the results speak for themselves.