India becomes the first team in the world to score 400 sixes in T20 in one year

Indian Paralympians demonstrated impressive results at the Asian Para Games, exceeding all expectations. The Indian delegation concluded its participation by winning a total of 114 medals: 30 gold, 35 silver, and 49 bronze.

On the final day of the competition, Indian athletes added a record 9 gold medals to their tally. Previously, at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou in 2023, India won 108 medals, which was its best result at that time. In the current tournament, India sent a delegation of 168 athletes, roughly double that of 2023.

India currently ranks fourth in the medal table. However, since finals for some disciplines involving India are scheduled for Saturday, the final position may change.

Athletics contributed the most to the total number of medals, where Indian athletes won 65 awards, which is 12 more than in 2023. Additionally, players in badminton, archery, and shooter Mona Agrawal made a significant contribution to winning gold medals.

India won three gold medals in badminton. Nitesh Kumar, a Paralympic champion from Paris, won gold in the men's singles SL3 category, defeating his compatriot and Tokyo Paralympic medalist Pramod Bhagat with a score of 21-18, 21-16. Nitesh also won a silver medal in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 category with Tulasmati Murgesan.

Navin Shivkumar, participating in the Asian Para Games for the first time, won gold in the men's singles SL4 category, defeating Freddy Setiawan from Indonesia with a score of 21-9, 21-17.

Tulasmati Murgesan, a 24-year-old athlete, also showed outstanding results. The silver medalist from the Paris Paralympics, Tulasmati, won gold in the women's doubles SL3-SU5 category with Manasi Joshi. The Indian pair defeated Yang Qiusi and Xiao Juxiang from China in the final with a score of 21-16, 21-13. Furthermore, Tulasmati won a silver medal in the women's singles SU5 category, losing to Yang Qiusi from China with a score of 18-21, 11-21. Thus, she concluded her participation with one gold and two silver medals.

The Indian athletes achieved an impressive result on the last day, bringing the total number of medals to 114, which is India's best performance at the Asian Para Games to date.

Indian batsman Abhishek Sharma achieved a historic feat during the T20 series match against New Zealand on Thursday (October 22). The game was played at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, where the team was aiming for 226 runs.

Sharma hit a six off the very first delivery, becoming the player who most frequently hits sixes off the first ball in T20 Internationals. The quick attack began when New Zealand's fast bowler Matt Henry bowled a full and wide delivery at the end of the first over. Sharma masterfully executed a cover drive, sending the ball over the boundary.

This success marked his seventh instance of hitting a six off the first ball in T20 Internationals. Previously, this record belonged to Afghan player Shafiqullah Shinwari, who had done it six times. Abhishek Sharma surpassed him in this regard. Suryakumar Yadav is also listed among the leaders, holding third place with five such sixes.

After hitting the six, Sharma continued to aggressively attack the New Zealand bowlers without wasting much time. In the fourth over against Edmead Milne, he scored two fours and two sixes. However, in the sixth over, he lost his wicket while attempting a powerful shot against Michael Bresshaw. Edmead Milne, positioned at short third man, caught him.

Abhishek Sharma scored 29 runs off 12 balls, including three fours and three sixes, with an average strike rate of 241.67. Together with Sanju Samson, he provided incredible momentum to the Indian team, scoring 93 runs in the first 35 balls of the first batting wicket. When Sharma was dismissed, India's score was 93 runs for one wicket after 5.5 overs.