RCB star goes 4, 6, 6, 6, 4 to clobber Rashid Khan for 26 runs in an over, Afghan star registers worst figures in The Hundred
Rashid Khan’s dip in form is partly linked to his back surgery after the 2023 World Cup and rushed rehabilitation afterward. This match reflected his ongoing struggles with rhythm and pace, as he was unable to contain Liam’s power hitting, resulting in the most expensive spell of his T20 career.
When the Oval Invincibles played the Birmingham Phoenix, the Phoenix needed 61 runs from 25 balls with six wickets still in hand. Rashid Khan, the Afghanistan leg-spinner, is generally a great choice in these situations, able to stop the chasing team by not allowing boundaries or grabbing a couple of wickets. But cricket can be surprising. The opposite happened here. Liam Livingstone went after Rashid Khan, one of the top white-ball spinners around, hitting three sixes and two fours. That five-ball set cost 26 runs. Rashid Khan ended up giving away 59 runs in his 20 balls. That’s his worst performance in a T20 game (The Hundred is considered T20).
Before this, the most runs Rashid had given away in a T20 match was 55 in an IPL game in 2018 against Kings XI.
4,6,6,6,4 BY LIAM LIVINGSTONE AGAINST RASHID KHANÂ
– 26 runs from just 5 balls by the Captain. pic.twitter.com/DioUvlipWk
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 13, 2025
This over completely changed the game, leaving the Phoenix needing 35 runs off 20 balls. Even though the last over was exciting, with two wickets falling, the Phoenix won by four wickets. Liam Livingstone really stood out, scoring an amazing 69 not out off 27 balls, helping the Phoenix chase down a tough target of 181 with only two balls left.
In an exciting game at Edgbaston, Livingstone played an excellent captain’s innings, smashing five sixes in a remarkable 27-ball show. His strong finish and calm under pressure were key as the Phoenix got their first win of the event.
Earlier, the Oval Invincibles had a shaky start after being put in to bat. Will Jacks was out on the second ball, and at the end of the 25-ball powerplay, they were only at 31 runs for 2 wickets. Things got worse when Sam Curran was out cheaply, leaving the visitors at 34 for 3. Jordan Cox (44) and captain Sam Billings steadied things, getting the score to 70 for 3 at the halfway mark before Billings was out. The game changed when South African Donovan Ferreira came in and attacked. He hit 63 off just 29 balls, reaching his half-century in only 24 balls and hitting the ball out of the park easily. He even hit a huge six off Tim Southee to get the team to 100. Rashid Khan added a useful 16 off 6, with two sixes, and a chaotic penultimate set from Dan Mousley cost 25, with two sixes and ten runs in wides. The Invincibles finished at 180 for 8.
The Phoenix’s reply started nervously as Jason Behrendorff bowled his opening 10 balls for just five runs. Saqib Mahmood then got Ben Duckett out, but Will Smeed responded with a fluent 51 off 29, including back-to-back sixes that shifted the momentum back to the Phoenix. Smeed was bowled by Nathan Sowter soon after reaching his fifty, with the Phoenix at 91 for 3. The innings slowed a bit with Jacob Bethell’s dismissal 20 runs later, but Livingstone stepped up, smashing Rashid Khan for 26 in one set and working well with Mousley to get the Phoenix close to the win. With three needed from five balls, things got tense as Mahmood removed Mousley and Louis Kimber with consecutive balls. However, Benny Howell stayed calm, driving the hat-trick ball through the covers to win the game.
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