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Four years ago, Kieron Pollard hit six sixes in an over against Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya in a T20I, leading West Indies to a four-wicket victory.
Kieron Pollard was dismissed for 38 runs in 11 deliveries. (Image: harbhajan_singh/X, formerly Twitter)
On This Day In 2021: Four years ago, Kieron Pollard etched his name in cricket folklore as only the third cricketer to smash six sixes in an over. The legendary West Indies all-rounder is widely recognised as one of the hardest hitters in the sport’s history. He showcased a brilliant display of his power-hitting against Sri Lanka on March 4, 2021.
In the first T20I of the bilateral series, Pollard made his on-field presence felt and hit six maximums in as many deliveries against Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya.
The knock saw the West Indies cricketer join the likes of South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs and India’s Yuvraj Singh. Gibbs registered the feat during the 2007 ODI World Cup against the Netherlands, whereas Yuvraj scored the sixes against England’s Stuart Broad in the 2007 T20 World Cup.
The match was played at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua. West Indies won the toss and elected to field first in the game. A joint effort from the Caribbean team’s bowling unit helped them curb Sri Lanka at 131/9.
The West Indies got a great start during the chase with a 52-run opening stand. Akila Danajaya curbed the home side’s momentum with a hattrick. They lost another wicket in the second over to find themselves at 62/4 in no time. All eyes were trained on Kieron Pollard in the high-pressure situation.
Kieron Pollard had scored two runs off four balls before he lofted the first delivery of Akila Danajaya’s over towards the mid-on region. While contact between the bat and the ball wasn’t ideal, Pollard’s force helped it sail comfortably over the boundary rope. He followed the big hit with a straight shot towards the side screen before hitting another six near mid-off.
Pollard’s hat trick of sixes resulted in his tally jumping to 20 runs in seven deliveries. The second set of sixes was directed towards on-side. Pollard’s power-hitting ensured that each ball sailed over the boundary rope.
Kieron Pollard’s knock made him the first West Indies batter to score six maximums in one over of an international fixture. The all-rounder’s batting display ended on the very next delivery in an LBW affair. He was dismissed for 38 runs in 11 deliveries.
Pollard, however, had done enough to help the hosts complete a successful chase in 13.1 overs. They registered a comfortable four-wicket victory to take the series lead.
Beyond the immediate impact on the match, Kieron Pollard’s fearless knock also earned him praise from fans all over the world. Serving as a spectacle of raw aggression, Pollard’s rain of sixes became a testament to his legacy as one of the biggest hitters in the sport.
