Delhi batsman hits 39 sixes to score 302 in T20 match

Indian cricketer Mohit Ahlawat is hoping to become a hit in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after smashing an astonishing triple century during a Twenty20 match in Delhi.

The 21-year-old became the first player to score 300 in the shortest form of the game as he struck 302 off just 72 balls during a Friends Premier League match, reports The Guardian.

He struck 39 sixes and 14 fours during his innings for the Maavi XI - a "makeshift" professional side, says Indian website ABP Live.

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Friends XI hit 200 in reply, an impressive score in most circumstances but not enough to beat Maavi's 416-2 .

Ahlawat "raced from 250 to 300 in the last two overs... [at] Lalita Park, a decent-sized ground in East Delhi, famous for hosting of T20 tournaments throughout the year", ABP Live adds.

The cricketer said: "The attack was good but after seeing off the new ball, I decided to just bat aggressively and was really timing the ball well. I saw the scoreboard, and I was nearing my 200 with five overs to go, so I decided to go for the kill. I reached 250 with just two overs to go. I told my partner, 'Let me try if I can make 300,' and I got 30 off the last over."

Pictures of the initial scorebook on social media put paid to the initial scepticism about Ahlawat's achievement.

It appears to indicate that the score is genuine and sets a new benchmark.

"The previous record was held by Sri Lankan player Dhanuka Pathirana [who] scored 277 from 72 balls in a Lancashire League match in 2007," says the Daily Telegraph. "At professional level, Chris Gayle holds the record for highest score in a T20 match with a 175-run knock from 66 balls for the Royal Bangalore Challengers."

Ahlawat now hopes to build on his success. "[He] has played three first-class games for Dehli and is targeting a money-spinning spot in the Dehli Daredevil's IPL squad with the lucrative auction taking place in two weeks time," says the Telegraph.

His previous chance came in the Raji trophy in 2015, after he was drafted into the Delhi side on the recommendation of Indian international Gautam Gambhir. However, scores of 1, 4, 0, 0 and 0 in his five innings meant he was quickly dropped.