Hong Kong's Ayush Shukla achieves rare feat, becomes third bowler to bowl four maidens in a T20I

Ayush Shukla picked one wicket in his quota of four overs against Mongolia.

Hong Kong speedster Ayush Shukla achieved a rare feat as he became only third bowler to bowl four maiden overs in a T20I match.

The 21-year-old achieved this milestone in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier A game between Hong Kong and Mongolia on August 31. So far, Shukla has played 35 T20Is and has scalped 30 wickets at an economy of 8.29.

Ayush Shukla joins the exclusive club of bowlers to bowl four maiden overs in a T20I innings

In the very first over of Mongolia’s innings, Hong Kong speedster Ayush Shukla dismissed opener Namsrai Bat-yalalt and began his four-over spell with a wicket maiden. The 21-year-old speedster then bowled 18 consecutive dot balls to etch his name in the record books.

Shukla finished his spell with 4-4-0-1, thus joining the elite list of bowlers delivering four maidens in a T20I match.

Coming back into the match, Hong Kong bowlers bundled out Mongolia for just 17 runs. Off-spinner Ehsan Khan bagged four wickets, whereas Yasim Murtaza and Anas Khan took two scalps apiece. Hong Kong chased down the 18-run target in just 1.4 overs and won the one-sided affair by nine wickets.

When Saad Bin Zafar and Lockie Ferguson bowled four maiden overs in a T20I match

Before Ayush Shukla, Canada’s Saad Bin Zafar and New Zealand speedster Lockie Ferguson achieved this rare feat of bowling four maidens in a T20I match.

Saad achieved this historic milestone against Panama in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Region qualifying match on November 14, 2021. Saad picked two wickets in his historic spell against Panama.

After Bin Zafar, Ferguson became the second bowler to achieve this historic milestone. The right-arm speedster achieved this rare feat during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 group stage match between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea on June 17, 2024.

Ferguson was first ever bowler from a test-playing nation to bowl four maiden overs in a T20I match. The right-arm speedster took three wickets in his historic spell.

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