On Saturday night, Afghanistan opener Hazratullah Zazai set Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Dehradun alight, raining 16 sixes in a record-breaking knock of 162 off just 62 balls. Hitting sixes comes naturally to Zazai, who first grabbed headlines by smashing six sixes in an over in the Afghanistan Premier League last year en route to a 12-ball 50.
“My style of batting has always been aggressive. I always loved to hit sixes from my childhood. Now also, nothing gives me more pleasure than hitting sixes in matches. I am never satisfied with just one an over, sometimes I feel I can hit every ball for six,” Zazai told CricketNext from Dehradun on Monday.
“My favourite players in world cricket are Chris Gayle and Hashim Amla. Gayle, of course, is such a powerful cricketer and hits the ball a long way. Amla has a unique technique and it’s so hard to dismiss him, that’s what I admire about him,” Zazai, who turned out for Dhaka Dynamites in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) before turning out for the series in Dehradun, said.
The one player from India that Zazai looks up to is former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his ‘helicopter shot’.
“I haven’t had much interaction with players from Indian team but I am a fan of MS Dhoni and his helicopter shot. I tried to emulate the shot in tennis ball cricket and also in games whenever I get the chance,” Zazai, who averages 75.6 after six T20I games, said.
