In a remarkable achievement, 21-year-old Hong Kong cricketer Ayush Shukla has etched his name in the record books by bowling four consecutive maiden overs in a T20 International (T20I) match. This impressive feat makes Shukla only the third bowler in the history of T20 cricket to deliver an entire four-over spell without conceding a single run, and notably, he is the first Asian cricketer to achieve this milestone.

Historic Performance Against Mongolia

Shukla's record-setting performance came during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier against Mongolia. In a spell that will be remembered for its precision and control, Shukla finished with astonishing figures of 4-4-0-1. The young speedster started his spell with a wicket maiden, dismissing Mongolian opener Namsrai Bat-yalalt in his first over. What followed was a display of disciplined bowling, as Shukla went on to bowl 18 consecutive dot balls.

Before Shukla's exceptional display, only two other bowlers had managed to deliver four-over spells without giving away a single run in T20I cricket. Canada's Saad Bin Zafar first achieved the feat against Panama in 2021, followed by New Zealand's Lockie Ferguson, who accomplished it earlier this year in the T20 World Cup against Papua New Guinea, finishing with figures of 4-4-0-3.

Dominant Display by Hong Kong

The match against Mongolia saw Hong Kong deliver a dominant performance. Mongolia's batting lineup was completely dismantled, managing to score only 17 runs before being bowled out in 14.2 overs. Shukla's economic spell set the tone, while Ehsan Khan was the standout performer with the ball, taking 4 wickets for just 5 runs in 2 overs. Hong Kong chased down the target effortlessly, losing only one wicket and achieving victory in just 1.4 overs.