Batting at number five for the U.S. in their second one-day international against Papua New Guinea, Malhotra cleared the ropes six times in the final over of their innings to finish unbeaten on 173.

Papua New Guinea fast bowler Gaudi Toka was the unfortunate bowler on the receiving end of Malhotra’s onslaught.

Malhotra joined three others who have achieved the feat at international level — South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs (2007) in an ODI, and India’s Yuvraj Singh (2007) and West Indies’ Kieron Pollard (2021) in Twenty20 matches.

Indian-born Malhotra, who counts West Indies great Viv Richards as his favourite player, also became the first man to score an ODI century for the U.S.

His 173 surpassed South African AB de Villiers’ 162 to become the highest score by a number five batsman in ODIs.

The Houston, Texas resident became the 10th player to achieve the feat of six sixes in professional cricket, after Garry Sobers (1968), Ravi Shastri (1985), Gibbs, Yuvraj, Ross Whiteley (2017), Hazratullah Zazai (2018), Leo Carter (2020), Pollard and Thisara Perera (2021).