The aggressive display began immediately upon his arrival at the crease. Facing Jacob Duffy in the 43rd over, Arshdeep cleared the boundary with his very first ball, setting the tone for a short-lived but memorable stay. He added a second six two balls later before Duffy eventually claimed his wicket to end the Indian innings.
Joining an elite list of tailenders
By launching his first delivery for a maximum, Arshdeep became only the third Indian batter to achieve the feat while batting at No. 11 in an ODI. He joins an exclusive group that includes Venkatesh Prasad and Jasprit Bumrah. Prasad first accomplished this against Australia during the 2000 Champions Trophy quarter-final in Nairobi, while Bumrah repeated the effort against the same opposition in Mohali in March 2019, striking Pat Cummins for a six.
Beyond the first-ball milestone, Arshdeep’s two sixes also saw him match the record for the most sixes hit by an Indian No. 11 in a single ODI innings. This record was previously held by Venkatesh Prasad, who struck two sixes against Pakistan in Toronto in 1996, and Mohammed Shami, who matched the tally against Sri Lanka in Fatullah in 2014. Despite the late flurry of runs, Arshdeep’s contribution was cut short by Duffy, concluding a notable statistical performance in the final match of the series at Mount Maunganui.
