Data analysis: Associate T20 internationals offer faster pace, more sixes than top-tier cricket

We all remember Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes in the same over against Stuart Broad. While a few, including West Indies legend Kieron Pollard, have managed to do the same, Yuvraj, being the first one to achieve it in T20Is, made him immortal. The Indian legend would continue to dominate our memories, but it changed last year on the same day (20 August 2024) as Darius Visser surpassed Yuvraj, helping Samoa break the record for most runs from a single over in the men’s T20Is.

Visser played the whole over as 39 runs came from the 15th over of the match against Vanuatu. The over was bowled by Nalin Nipiko at Garden Oval No.2 in Apia, Samoa, in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub-Regional East Asia-Pacific Qualifier A match.

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Visser smashed six sixes in Nipiko’s over as the seamer also gave away three no-balls. The 39 runs scored a single men’s T20I match over is a new record as it breaks the previous record of 36 runs in an over, first scripted by Yuvraj at the 2007 T20 World Cup, and later by Kieron Pollard (2021), Nicholas Pooran (2024), Dipendra Singh Airee (2024) and Rohit Sharma/Rinku Singh (2024).

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Visser started the fateful over with three consecutive sixes before Nipiko bowled a no-ball. The next legal delivery was also hit for a six. Nipiko followed this with another no ball, but it did little to deter Visser as the third no ball of the over was hit for a maximum, and he smashed another six on the last ball to make a new world record.

Visser ended his innings on 132 from just 62 balls as he hit 14 sixes, helping Samoa (174) beat Vanuatu (164/9) by 10 runs. While that’s all about the world record, there’s a major trend here for us to follow.

A look at the records for the most expensive T20I overs and the highest career strike rate in T20Is highlights that the international matches between the associate teams are often more exciting in terms of big hits as compared to the games between the Test-playing nations in the ICC tournaments.

Associate T20Is have more sixes than top-tier cricket

For example, with a qualifier of a minimum of 250 balls faced, India’s Abhishek Sharma, who is also currently the world’s No.1 T20I batter, has the highest strike rate in the world – that of 193.84. But the other four batters in the top five are from Estonia, Gibraltar, Saudi Arabia and Belgium. Australian Tim David, who earlier represented Singapore, is in the sixth spot with a strike rate of 168.71, while Samoa’s Visser is seventh. He has a career strike rate of 168.57.

India’s Suryakumar Yadav (167.07), Scotland’s OJ Harris (165.24) and Australia’s Jos Inglis (164.41) are in the eighth, ninth and tenth position, respectively.

Highest career strike rate in T20Is (Minimum 250 balls faced):

Similarly, let’s also take a look at the 20 most expensive overs in the history of T20I cricket.

Top 20 most expensive overs in T20Is:

What we notice from the above table is that 10 out of 20 most expensive overs in T20Is have come in matches between associate teams, especially those who rarely feature in ICC proper tournaments.

This goes on to show that while matches between the so-called smaller associate teams may lack coverage and, in some cases, the intensity and quality of top international games, there is clearly no shortage of entertainment.

The games are played at a faster pace, and there are plenty of sixes to enjoy. After all, sixes are the biggest ornaments of T20 cricket.

So, next time you get a chance to watch Samoa or Belgium play, don’t miss it.