NEW DELHI: Salman Nizar produced a batting masterclass to script one of the most astonishing finishes in T20 cricket, powering Calicut to a record 71 runs in the final two overs against Trivandrum in the Kerala Cricket League at the Greenfield Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram.Coming in with his side reeling at 115/6 after 18 overs, Nizar unleashed a stunning 26-ball 86 that included a scarcely believable 11 sixes in the last two overs. His blitz transformed Calicut’s innings into a formidable total.The carnage began in the 19th over when Nizar hammered Basil Thampi for five sixes in a row, plundering 31 runs. He then went one better in the 20th, taking 40 off Abhijith Praveen, aided by a wide and a no-ball.
Until then, Calicut had endured a difficult innings. Early wickets on a two-paced pitch, coupled with overcast conditions, kept their batters in check. But Nizar’s late fireworks not only turned the game on its head but also etched his name into the record books — the 71 runs in two overs is the highest ever scored in the closing overs of a T20 match.
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