Ramandeep Singh, who was part of now-India coach Gautam Gambhir's IPL-winning Kolkata Knight Riders side, was handed his maiden T20I cap against South Africa.
The Chandigarh-born Punjab all-rounder first came into the limelight after he debuted for the Mumbai Indians in the 2022 IPL season. Since then, he has played 13 innings in 20 matches, scoring 170 runs and picking up 6 wickets, lifting the title for KKR last season.
The 27-year-old all-rounder Ramandeep Singh became the second Indian batter to score a six of the first ball in his T20I debut match, equalling skipper Surya Kumar Yadav during the 3rd T20I of the ongoing four-match series against South Africa on Wednesday.
On his very first ball, the Punjab cricketer smashed Andile Simelane for a six, much like his skipper did on his debut against Englishman Jofra Archer back in 2021.
Ramandeep went on to score 15 runs of 6 balls before being run-out by Klassen in the final over of the innings.
The show was stolen by Tilak Varma in the match, who scored a maiden T20I century with a brilliant 107 from 56 balls to help India to an 11-run victory over hosts South Africa at Centurion Park, a game that was stopped for nearly half an hour by flying ants.
India amassed an impressive 219 for six in their 20 overs, boosted by the hitting of Varma and a sprightly 50 from 25 balls by opener Abhishek Sharma.
South Africa were always behind in their chase in the face of some excellent spin bowling from Axar Patel (1-29 in four overs) and the wiles of seamer Arshdeep Singh (3-37), but a late flurry of runs got them close.
They managed 208 for seven in reply and trail India 2-1 in the four-match series with the final game to be played in Johannesburg on Friday.
Varma and Sharma put on 107 from 50 balls for the second wicket to lay the platform for the visitors as South Africa lacked discipline with the ball, conceding 10 wides and three no balls in the innings.
Varma reached his century from 51 deliveries as he struck eight fours and seven sixes.
The South African reply was an over old when the players were forced from the field for almost 30 minutes by a swarm of flying ants.
When they returned, India's spinners squeezed the run-rate in the middle overs, though the home side were kept in the contest by Marco Jansen's career-best 54 from 17 balls and Heinrich Klaasen's 41 from 22 deliveries.
(With Reuters inputs)