Dipendra Singh Airee created history by becoming the third man to smash six sixes in an over in an international T20 match on Saturday, achieving the feat during Nepal’s 32-run victory over Qatar at the 2024 ACC Men’s Premier Cup in Al Amerat, Oman.

The 24-year-old allrounder joined Yuvraj Singh and Kieron Pollard as the only cricketers to achieve the feat in men’s T20I so far.

Singh was the first to do so when he hammered six sixes off Stuart Broad during India’s 2007 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup group match against England. West Indies batter Pollard achieved the feat in 2021 by cracking six sixes off Akila Dananjaya in Coolidge during Sri Lanka’s tour of the West Indies.

Airee also became the fifth batter to do so in all internationals.

In ODI cricket, South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs and the United States’ Jaskaran Malhotra have both hammered six sixes in an over.

Gibbs did it during the 2007 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup match against Netherlands. Malhotra joined the list in 2021 against Papua New Guinea.

Airee started the last over on 28 off 15 balls and hit medium pacer Kamran Khan’s each ball for six to finish the inning on 64 off 21 balls, taking Nepal, which opted to bat first, to an imposing total of 210-7. Airee scored three boundaries and seven biggies in total.

It was Airee’s 10th fifty-plus scores in T20Is, the most for Nepal, eclipsing Kushal Bhurtel’s record of nine fifty-plus scores.

Airee had also scored six consecutive sixes against Mongolia on the way to recording the fastest T20I fifty (off nine balls)—that broke Yuvraj Singh’s record of 12 deliveries—during the men’s cricket tournament of the Hangzhou Asian Games in September last year, but his accomplishment was spread across two overs.

The Rhinos also owed their big total to another half-centurian Aasif Sheikh, who cracked 52 runs off 41 balls—his fifth T20I fifty. He hit six fours.

Nepal’s another fast hitter Kushal Malla—who is second in the list of cricketers to score fastest T20I hundred (off 34 balls)—played an aggressive 18-ball 35 and captain Rohit Paudel contributed 18 runs facing 17 deliveries to build the inning—setting the stage for Airee to breathe fire in the closing hour.

Himanshu Rathod was the pick of Qatar bowling, with match figures of 3-26. Musawar Shah also took three wickets for Qatar but his four-over spell was expensive, resulting in 43 runs conceded. Amir Farooq also pocketed one wicket.

Player-of-the-match Airee also shone with the ball to help Nepal restrict Qatar to 178-9.

Qatar put up a determined fight in their chase.

Despite a valiant half-century from skipper Muhammad Tanveer, Airee (2-34), Lalit Rajbanshi (2-23) and Gulsan Jha (2-24) took crucial wickets to put the Qatari batters under constant pressure throughout the 20 overs, ensuring a comfortable victory for Nepal.

Tanveer scored 63 runs off 33 balls. He hit six fours and four sixes.

Mohammad Tanveer provided the second highest score for Qatar with 23 runs off 18 balls.

Malla and Abinash Bohara also took one wicket apiece for Nepal.

A second victory in as many matches moved Nepal to the top of Group A with four points.

Hong Kong, who have a match in hand, are second on two points.

Nepal next play Hong Kong on Monday.

Malaysia bounced back from their opening loss against Nepal to beat Saudi Arabia by 12 runs, which kept them in the third position in the group.

The United Arab Emirates, who defeated Bahrain by 37 runs, top the Group B with four points. Kuwait are second in Group B, after a convincing eight-wicket win over Cambodia gave them two points. They had lost their opening match to the UAE by seven wickets on Friday.

The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals, which will be played on April 19.

The final takes place on April 21.