Three times batsmen hit six sixes in an over in international cricket

In a span of just two overs, Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya experienced both highs and lows as West Indies pulled off a stunning four-wicket win against the visitors in the first T20I in Antigua on Thursday.

A hat-trick over by Dananjaya was followed by him getting hit by six sixes by Trinidadian Kieron Pollard in a thrilling encounter.

Advertisement

Pollard, thus became the third international cricketer after South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs and India’s Yuvraj Singh to achieve the feat of hitting six sixes in an over in international cricket.

Here are three instances when batsmen hit six sixes in an over in international cricket.

1. Herschelle Gibbs, Bowler- Daan van Bunge (Netherlands) in 2007 ODI World Cup

Former South African top-order batsman Herschelle Gibbs became the first batsman in the history of international cricket to slam six sixes in an over in the seventh match of the ICC World Cup in 2007. On March 16, 2007, in the match against the Netherlands, Gibbs smashed leg-spinner Dan van Bunge all over the park achieving the rare feat for the first time. It was the 30th over of the match and Gibbs hit the first maximum long-on and slammed the next two balls over long-off. While the fourth ball was sent over the deep mid-wicket boundary, the fifth and sixth ball went over the long-off and deep mid-wicket fence. Gibbs scored 72 off 40 in that match and the Proteas eventually won by a mammoth 221 runs.

2. Yuvraj Singh, Bowler – Stuart Broad (England) in 2007 T20 World Cup 

After exchanging few words with England all-rounder Andre Flintoff, Yuvraj Singh was pumped up and hit the pacer Stuart Broad all over the Durban Park. On September 19, 2007, India was facing England in a group match in the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa. After hitting the first maximum over, Yuvraj flicked the second ball over backward square leg. He smashed the third ball over extra cover, before smashing the fourth over point boundary. The fifth and sixth ball went over mid-wicket and mid-on, as Yuvraj became the first Indian to hit six sixes in international cricket and first in T20 cricket. Yuvraj scored fifty off just 12 balls and it remains the fastest 50 in the T20 format. India won the game by 18 runs. 

3. Kieron Pollard, Bowler- Akila Dananjaya (Sri Lanka) in first bilateral T20I in 2021

Kieron Pollard showed his batting prowess with his power hitting in the first T20I against Sri Lanka in Antigua on March 4, 2021. Chasing a moderate score of 132, the hosts were behind with 62 for 4 as spinner Akila Dananjaya claimed a memorable hat-trick before the Windies skipper arrived and took the match away. The six sixes happened in the final overs of the power play as Pollard took full advantage of power-play restrictions. After slamming the first six over long-on he went straight down to hit the sightscreen. His next strike went over wide long-off followed by one over deep mid-wicket. The final two sixes were hit straight down the ground and over deep mid-wicket. Windies won the match thanks to Pollard’s havoc and achieved the target of 132 in just 13.1 overs