BENGALURU (Reuters) -Meghalaya's Akash Kumar Choudhary hopes the Indian Premier League (IPL) adds a team from northeastern India to popularise the sport in the region after he became the first player to hit eight sixes in a row in a domestic Ranji Trophy match on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Choudhary, a specialist fast bowler, raced to an 11-ball 50, the fastest half-century in first-class cricket, against Arunachal Pradesh.
He also became only the third batsman to hit six sixes in one over in a first-class match after West Indian Garry Sobers and India's Ravi Shastri.
Choudhary is hoping for an IPL opportunity, calling for greater representation of India's northeastern states in the country's premier T20 competition.
"When you play in the IPL, you create your name. Whoever is playing in India, they wish to play in the IPL and I have the same aspirations as well," he told Reuters via video call.
"There is no team from the northeast region so I like all the teams and whoever picks me, it'll be a fun opportunity to play with them."
In 2022, IPL expanded to a 10-team format, adding sides from Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, but Assam's Riyan Parag was the only player from the northeastern region in this year's tournament.
Parag also became the first male player from the region to be selected for India in 2024 for the T20 series against Zimbabwe. He has since represented India in nine T20 internationals and a one-day international.
"If there will ever be a team from the northeast, it will help people pick up cricket here and popularise the game," Choudhary said.
WORLD RECORD
Sunday's half-century was the second of the tournament for Choudhary who made an unbeaten 60 against Bihar.
"I didn’t think about the record, but in the match against Bihar, I smashed four sixes," he said.
"I was practising hitting in the nets. Our team was in a good position so I just focused on expressing myself and went for big hits.
"As a cricketer, there's always some pressure. So there isn’t anything that will happen differently with me after this," Choudhary said.
"My only goal for now is to do well for my team and bring Meghalaya to a good position."
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
