Opting to bat first on a dry day in Samoa’s capital proved to be a costly call for skipper Caleb Jasmat. The team faced an early collapse, losing Sean Cotter and Solomon Nash in the first two overs. Things worsened when Daniel Burgess departed cheaply, leaving the score at a precarious 14/3 after four overs.
With Saumani Tiai also falling early, the burden to anchor Samoa’s innings rested on Darius Visser. In a matter of overs, he not only stabilized the innings but etched his name in the history books during the 15th over, dramatically shifting the momentum in Samoa’s favor.
When Nalin Nipiko began his over, Samoa was struggling at 77/5, and the pressure was on Visser to deliver. Nipiko’s first ball, a short-of-a-length delivery outside off stump, was expertly judged by Visser, who shifted slightly and launched it over mid-wicket for six. The next two balls followed a similar fate, with Visser punishing them for towering sixes over the boundary.
Nipiko, trying to regain control, only worsened the situation by bowling a no-ball on the fourth delivery, which Visser mistimed and missed. However, the free hit that followed was dispatched high over the square leg fence for another massive six.
Nipiko briefly regained composure with a dot ball on the fifth delivery, but the final ball, a waist-high no-ball, was hammered over long leg for another huge six. Frustration peaked as Nipiko bowled another ball due to the free hit, and this time Visser sent the wide full toss soaring over the backward square leg fence.
🚨WORLD RECORD CREATED IN MEN’S T20 LEVEL 1 OVER 39 RUNS
— SportsOnX (@SportzOnX) August 20, 2024
Darius Visser scored 39 runs in match between Samoa Vs Vanuatu
(🎥 – ICC)#T20 #T20WorldCup #records #ICC #CricketUpdate #cricketnews pic.twitter.com/sXiyrlxjtE
With that last six, Visser set a new record for the most runs scored in a single over in T20Is, amassing 39 runs. His incredible feat quickly went viral on social media, with fans buzzing about his unprecedented achievement.