These men have achieved one of the rarest feats in cricket!
Cricket is known for its remarkable records, and among these, hitting six fours in a single over stands out as a rare and spectacular achievement. Only a select few batters have made their mark in international cricket by smashing 6 fours in one over. Here, we highlight the players who have accomplished this impressive feat on the global stage.
While Yuvraj Singh is celebrated as the first Indian batter to hit 6 sixes in an over in international cricket, few know that Sandeep Patil was the first to achieve the feat of 6 fours in an over. This milestone occurred during the second Test between England and India in Manchester in 1982. On the fourth day, with India struggling at 136 for 5, Patil partnered with Syed Kirmani, Kapil Dev, and Madan Lal to stave off a follow-on. Facing Bob Willis, Patil began with a four-to-extra cover, followed by successive boundaries on each ball, including a no-ball. He reached his century with a boundary and completed his over with a hook shot for another four, setting an international record.
After a 22-year gap, Chris Gayle became the second batter to hit six fours in an over in Test cricket. Known for his explosive T20 hitting, Gayle showed his power in Tests during the fourth Test against England in 2004 at the Oval. With the West Indies following on and trailing by 318 runs, Gayle remained unfazed and unleashed his aggressive style. In the third over of their second inning, he struck Matthew Hoggard for six consecutive fours. He began with a shot to midwicket, followed by four deliveries to the off-side, and finished with a fourth ball through cover.
Ramnaresh Sarwan, who witnessed Chris Gayle's six fours from the pavilion, achieved the same feat himself just two years later. In the third Test at Basseterre, Munaf Patel was the unfortunate bowler to face Sarwan’s onslaught. Patel bowled the 84th over of the Windies' first inning, and Sarwan didn’t hold back. He began with a boundary through covers, followed by a hook shot to square leg. The third ball reached deep cover, the fourth raced to a fine leg via an inside edge, and he cut the fifth ball to the third man. Despite Patel's no-ball, Sarwan struck the last delivery for another boundary, hitting six consecutive fours. The final ball of the over brought no runs.
Sanath Jayasuriya made his mark in the record books by smashing James Anderson for six consecutive fours in a Test match. This occurred during the first test in Kandy. With England holding a 93-run first-innings lead, Jayasuriya was crucial in reducing the deficit for Sri Lanka. In the 19th over, he took Anderson to task, starting with a boundary over extra cover. On the next ball, a dropped catch by Ian Bell allowed the ball to race away. Jayasuriya then struck a square drive for four, pulled the fourth delivery to square leg, and brought up his fifty with the fifth four over extra cover. He completed his streak with a final four to third man.
Tillakaratne Dilshan stands out as the only batter to hit six consecutive fours in an ODI over, a remarkable feat he achieved during the 2015 ODI World Cup. While chasing a target of 377 runs, Dilshan had initially played cautiously after losing Lahiru Thirimanne early. However, in the sixth over, he took on Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson with impressive results. Dilshan drove the first ball for a boundary through long off, followed by a boundary past Mitchell Johnson. He then sent the third ball to deep midwicket, pulled the fourth ball over backward square, and found two more boundaries through covers and extra cover, completing his streak of six consecutive fours.
Only one other player, Harry Brook, has scored six fours in an over, which makes it easily understandable how tough the record is!
