Hazratullah Zazai smashed a blistering half-century off just 12 balls, accomplishing an incredible feat of hitting six-sixes-in-an-over with his ‘idol’ Chris Gayle in audience.

The stormy innings in the Afghan Premier League on Sunday equalled the all-time T20 record of the fastest half-century in T20 cricket held by Chris Gayle and Yuvraj Singh. The 20-year-old batsman blasted left-arm spinner Abdullah Mazari for six sixes in one over on his way to the incredible landmark.

After joining an elite group of players to have hit six sixes in an innings, Hazratullah Zazai has called it a “surreal moment” to have achieved the feat in front of his idol Chris Gayle. The Windies star was playing for the Balakh Legends who were on the receiving end of the assault from 20-year old Zazai, who was playing for Kabul Zwanan.

Left-hander Zazai, who has played for Afghanistan in both one-day and T20 internationals, was eventually out for a 17-ball 62 as his team Kabul Zwanan fell 21 runs short of a target of 245 against Balkh Legends. His incredible innings contained four fours and seven sixes.

Having Gayle in the opposition made it an extra special occasion for the left hander. Gayle himself played a match-winning knock of 80 off 48 deliveries for Balkh in the match.

"It was a surreal moment for me to perform in front of my idol [Gayle]," Zazai said after the match. "I was just trying to play my natural game and did not in any way think of outshining anyone.

While he equalled an all-time T20 record, his feat of six sixes in an over meant he joined the likes of Sir Garry Sobers, Ravi Shastri, Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh and Ross Whiteley, who accomplished the feat previously.

"It is a proud moment for me. It is a very enjoyable moment for me that my name is now linked to so many big names of the game, who are really legends of the game. I am thankful to Almighty Allah for helping me score the 12-ball fifty."

His record-equalling innings came just five days after he scored 124 against Nangarhar Leopards in the same competition.