WATCH, BBL | 'Flying' Shadab Khan produces all-time BBL classic catch with gravity-defying effort

SportsCafe Desk
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'Is that a bird? Is that a plane? No, it's Shadab Khan' pulling off a spectacular catch out of thin air to leave audiences and commentators stunned. The all-rounder showed great instincts in a clutch situation against the Perth Scorchers to grab a return catch off his own bowling at full-stretch.

Hobart Hurricanes pulled off an improbable victory against the Perth Scorchers at the University of Tasmania Stadium on Monday in a second-round fixture of the Big Bash League. The  Scorchers seemed to be cruising along to the target of 173 at one stage, requiring just 47 off 41 balls courtesy of a flying Josh Inglis. However, once the team's fourth wicket fell as Ashton Turner departed for 20, Hobart seized the moment and added to the pressure by getting rid of Inglis as well for a flamboyant 62 off just 37 deliveries. Even so, Perth remained the favourites for the victory with Aaron Hardie and Jhye Richardson at the crease and the team needing 18 off the final two overs, until a moment from genius from Shadab Khan turned the entire game on its head.

Having been brought on for his second spell right at the death, Khan delivered by conceding just five runs in the 17th over. However, bowling the penultimate over of the game, the pressure seemed to be on the leg-spinner. He started off well, restricting Richardson to just a run before deceiving Hardie with his flight, nearly getting a soft dismissal. On the third ball, the batter finally did get a leading edge, but the ball seemed to be flying down the pitch's edge to safety. But an alert Shadab was quick to walk across the crease and flung himself in front of the non-striker, leaping such that he was suspended in the air fully-horizontal to grab on to the Kookaburra with both his hands.

Khan's momentum behind the effort could be gauged by the fact that he landed well outside the pitch and onto the grass to pull-off what would certainly go down as one of the greatest catches in the tournament's history, especially given that it ensured a victory for his team and sent the Twiteratti into frenzy.

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