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Devine’s streak of 50-plus scores in T20 internationals:

1. 72 against India at Hamilton on 10 Feb 2019


2. 54 not out against South Africa at Mount Maunganui on 2 Feb 2020


3. 61 against South Africa at Hamiliton on 6 Feb 2020


4. 77 against South Africa at Wellington on 9 Feb 2020


5. 105 against South Africa at Wellington on 10 Feb 2020


6. 75 not out against Sri Lanka at Perth on 22 Feb 2020

Devine’s record of scoring six consecutive fifties thus started and ended against India. In the World Cup group game between the two sides last month, Devine was caught by Radha Yadav off the bowling of Poonam Yadav while her score was 14. India went on to win the match and Devine’s run too ended at six. That’s however, still two better than anyone else in T20 internationals, both men and women.

Mithali Raj’s for-match streak of 50-plus scores in T20 internationals:

1. 62 against Sri Lanka at Bangkok on 1 Dec 2016


2. 73 not out against Pakistan at Bangkok on 4 Dec 2016


3. 54 not out against South Africa at Ptchefstroom on 13 Feb 2018


4. 76 not out against South Africa at East London on 16 Feb 2018

Brendon McCullum’s four-match streak of 50-plus scores in T20 internationals:

1. 59 against West Indies at Hamilton on 28 Dec 2008


2. 61 against Australia at Sydney on 15 Feb 2009


3. 56 not out against India at Christchurch on 25 Feb 2009


4. 69 not out against India at Wellington on 27 Feb 2009

Chris Gayle’s four-match streak of 50-plus scores in T20 internationals:

1. 85 not out against New Zealand at Lauderhill on 30 June 2012


2. 53 against New Zealand at Lauderhill on 1 July 2012


3. 54 against Australia at Colombo on 22 Sep 2012


4. 58 against England at Pallekele on 27 Sep 2012

 

Picture Credit : Google

On February 9, 2020, on day three of the first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh at Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Naseem Shah took a hat-trick, dismissing Najmul Hossain Shanto, Taijul Islam and Mahmudullah off three consecutive balls.

In the process, Naseem became the youngest player ever to take a Test hat-trick.

When a 19-years-old Alok Kapali became the youngest player to take a Test hat-trick in August 2003, Naseem Shah was a six-month old baby. Kapali, the first Bangladesh player to take a Test hat-trick, achieved the feat against Pakistan at Peshawar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, though, lost that match.

Najmul Hossain Shanto was the first of Naseem’s three wickets in the hat-trick. The ball came back in a long way to hit the left-hander on his pads, but the umpire didn’t budge. Pakistan captain Azhar Ali consulted his bowler signaling for a review. It came in Pakistan’s favour as the ball hit leg stump and Shanto was out.

With few overs remaining in day three of the Test match, Bangladesh sent in Taijul Islam as a night-watchman the ploy, however, didn’t work as Taijul too was lbw, off his very first ball. The ball once again angled in from wide of the crease and hit the left-hander low on his pads. The umpire Nigel Llong had no hesitation in giving this one out.

Taijul Islam had come in to protect Mahmudullah, but his dismissal off the first ball meant Mahmudullah had to come in as the no 6 batsman. The right-hander couldn’t hold back and went for a drive, but the ball moved away just a bit: There was a thick edge, and Haris Sohail did the rest, taking a fine catch at first slip.

Pakistan won the match by an innings and 44 runs. The 16-year-old Naseem Shah, who had one wicket in the first innings and four in the second, was declared player of the match.

 

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Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergey Bubka dominated the scene for 10 years from 1984-1994. He broke the world record in men’s pole vault 35 times during his career, which included 17 times outdoors and 18 times in indoor competitions. He finished with a best of 6.14 m at outdoor competitions in July 1994 and had a best mark of 6.15 m indoors, set in 1993.

Twenty one years after Bubka set his mark for the indoor world record, Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie broke the mark at the same meet in the same arena. Lavillenie, who had won gold at the 2012 London Olympics, set the mark of 6.16 m at Donestsk, Ukraine on February 15, 2014.

Bubka was at the scene when Lavillenie performed his feat, making it even more special. As indoor and outdoor marks are not seen differently based on a ruling in 2000, Lavillenie’s mark became the official world record.

Armand Duplantis, who goes by his nickname Mondo, was born in the U.S., but represents Sweden in comptetitions. Coached by his father Greg, who was a pole vaulter, and mother Helena, a former heptathlete and volleyball player, he won the silver medal at the 2019 World Championships. On February 8, 2020, during a meet at Torun, Poland, Duplantis broke Lavillenie’s world record with a jump of 6.17 m.

In the very next week, on February 15, 2020, Duplantis added another cm to his world record. The 20-year-old jumped 6.18 m at Glasgow, Scotland.

A week later, at the “All Star Perche” competition in Clermont, France, Duplantis got to pick the brains of Lavillenie. Even though he won the competition, he could not raise the world record further, as he failed at his attempts at 6.19 m.

Duplantis’ marks of 6.17 m and 6.18 m are pending official ratification.

 

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Rafael Nadal was the first tennis player to win eight Grand Slam titles at the same tournament. He did it way back in 2013 and his in fact added a ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth title at the same tournament since then. No prizes for guessing where the King of Clay has achieved this feat. He has, no doubt, won these at the French Open. In fact, since 2005, he has won the tournament on 12 of the 15 occasions. Nadal has won 19 Grand Slam singles titles so far. Apart from his 12 French Open wins, he has won the Australian Open once, Wimbledon twice and the US Open four times.

Roger Federer became the second person to win eight or more titles at the same Grand Slam tournament. He did this at Wimbledon, winning the title in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2017. As you can see, he had to wait for five years to get his eighth. With 20 Grand Slam titles to his name, Federer has also won six Australian Open titles, one French Open title and five US Open titles to go along with his eight titles in the grass courts of Wimbledon.

Novak Djokovic became the latest entrant to the list of people who have won eight or more titles at the same Grand Slam event. He added his 2020 Australian Open victory to titles won at the year’s opening Grand Slam in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019. Almost half of his 17 Grand Slam singles titles won so far has thus come here. The remaining includes one French Open title, five Wimbledon titles and three US Open titles.

 

Picture Credit : Google