A rare feat, an elite list, and a night to remember—when Pollard sent six into the stands, he etched his name in cricketing folklore.
Cricket is a game of records, but some feats stand out for their sheer audacity. Scoring a century? Brilliant. Taking a hat-trick? Exceptional. But hitting six sixes in a single over? That is the stuff of legends. Only a handful of players have achieved this remarkable feat in international cricket. In 2021, Kieron Pollard became one of them.
On March 3, 2021, at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, the West Indies were chasing 132 runs against Sri Lanka in a dramatic T20I encounter. Everyone was raving about Akila Dananjaya, who had just impressed the crowd with a magnificent hat-trick.
However, Pollard had his own strategy in mind. As the talented off-spinner returned to bowl, the powerful Trinidadian made it clear that he would not let anyone else steal the spotlight in this match.
Pollard sent the white leather into the stands with each ball he struck. The first shot was a flip over midwicket. The second was a soaring shot that landed precisely downfield.
The third vanished over a great distance. By the time the fourth and fifth balls met the same fate, the crowd was brimming with expectancy. The sixth shot, a colossal effort, struck deep into the Caribbean night. History had been made.
The Windies easily chased down the target, yet Pollard’s fireworks stole the show. He transformed from a power hitter to a cricketing legend in a single over.
Pollard’s exploits secured him a place in an elite club that only a handful of individuals have ever joined. Let us reflect on some of the remarkable legends who accomplished the impossible.
Before T20 cricket took off, South African batter Herschelle Gibbs demonstrated to fans what was possible in white-ball cricket. Gibbs struck DLS van Bunge for six consecutive sixes while playing against the Netherlands in the 2007 World Cup. He became the first player to achieve this feat in an international match, leaving the Dutch bowler wishing the ground would swallow him whole.
It was the inaugural T20 World Cup, and Yuvraj Singh was ready to wreak havoc. An on-field confrontation with Andrew Flintoff had ignited a passion within him, and poor Stuart Broad suffered the consequences. Yuvraj hammered six consecutive sixes in a single over, reaching fifty in just 12 balls— still the fastest in T20Is by a full-member player. England’s Broad could only stand by as the ball soared into the night sky.
Although Jaskaran Malhotra, a player of Indian origin, may not be widely recognised, he accomplished something remarkable on September 9, 2021. Representing the USA, Malhotra hit six sixes in an over against PNG’s Gaudi Toka. His unbeaten score of 173 remains the highest ODI total for the USA, and his name is now inscribed alongside cricketing royalty.
Dipendra Singh Airee from Nepal is the latest member to join this exclusive club. On April 13, 2024, during the ACC Men’s Premier Cup, Airee rendered Qatar’s Kamran Khan a mere spectator by hitting six consecutive sixes in the final over. His unbeaten 64 off 21 balls propelled Nepal to a comfortable victory and firmly established his place in cricket history.
