Cricket-Parag hits six sixes in a row but Rajasthan fall short in chase

NEW DELHI, - Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag became the first batter in the Indian Premier League's history to smash six sixes off successive deliveries he faced even if it could not prevent their narrow loss to Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.

Chasing 207 for win at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, Rajasthan slumped to 71-5 in the eighth over but Parag turned the match on its head with 95 off 45 balls.

Teammate Shimron Hetmyer took a single off the first ball in the 13th over from Kolkata spinner Moeen Ali to bring Parag on strike and carnage ensued.

Parag hit each of the next four balls for a six but Moeen, trying to bowl outside the batter's hitting arc, followed it with a wide ball.

Parag was in no mood to relent though and hit Moeen's final delivery of the over for another six.

Hetmyer took a single off the first delivery of the next over from Varun Chakravarthy and Parag, back on strike, reverse swept the spinner over backward point for his sixth consecutive sixes.

"The ground is very, very fast. So I knew I had my boundaries if I just stood in there," said Parag, whose dismissal in the 18th over allowed Kolkata to prevail by one run.

"The wicket was a little tricky. It was stopping and turning. I just had to pick my battles and I thought I did that pretty well until when I got out."

The 23-year-old has hit 26 sixes this season and is currently fourth in the six-hitters' list headed by Lucknow Super Kings batter Nicholas Pooran .

Rajasthan, currently eighth in the 10-team league, are out of playoff contention.

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