A unique feat was achieved in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy game when Vidarbha’s ambidextrous (who can bowl with both hands) spinner Akshay Karnewar completed a four overs spell in a T20 game against Manipur without conceding even a single run. This is now the most economical spell in the history of T20 cricket.
The 29-year old who bowls left-arm orthodox and right arm off-spin with similar actions, registered figures of 4-4-0-2 at the end of the match which Vidarbha won by 167 runs. This is now the second-biggest margin of victory in Indian cricket and ninth in the entire history of T20 cricket. Before this, Andhara had beaten Nagaland by 179 runs in 2019.
With this spell of his Karnewar broke the record held by Pakistan’s Mohammad Irfan who had figures of 4-3-1-2 in a Caribbean Premier League game playing for Barbados Tridents against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in 2018.
Karnewar, an experienced domestic player with 15 First Class, 37 List-A and 44 T20 games under his belt has a total of 129 wickets and 1613 runs in his tally across formats, since making his debut in 2015 in a Vijay Hazare Trophy game against Odisha.
Born in Wagholi subdivision of Pune district in Maharashtra, Karnewar’s primary skill was off-spin bowling and batting right-handed. Since his left-hand throws were quite accurate and had a lot of power in them, his junior coach Balu Navghare told him to take up left-arm spin seriously.
"It's unbelievable. Not conceding even a single run in the entire match is something extraordinary and I am really feeling good," Karnewar said after the game. Vidarbha, by topping the Plate Group have made it to the pre-quarterfinals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021-22 and now it would be a real test for Karnewar to perform against Maharashtra on November 16, the association where he was born and played his junior cricket from.