5 players who smashed 6 sixes in an over in competitive cricket

Maharashtra skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad slammed an unbeaten double ton (220* off 159 balls), leading his team to a massive 58-run win in the second quarter-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022 against Uttar Pradesh in Ahmedabad on Monday, November 28.

However, it was his exploits in the 49th over that left the world in awe as Gaikwad slammed left-arm spinner Shiva Singh for seven maximums, with one of the sixes coming off a no-ball.

Uttar Pradesh won the toss and decided to bowl first at the Sardar Patel B Stadium in Ahmedabad. Maharashtra captain Gaikwad led from the front as his stupendous knock comprised 10 boundaries and 16 maximums, almost single-handedly dragging his team to a score of 330 for the loss of five wickets.

The double-ton was even more special as it came against a quality Uttar Pradesh attack consisting of the likes of Shivam Mavi, Ankit Rajpoot, and Kartik Tyagi on a difficult wicket where the rest of the batters in his team scored only 96 runs off 142 balls.

In reply, Uttar Pradesh were never really in the game as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Young wicketkeeper Aryan Juyal tried to keep the innings together with a magnificent 159 off 143 balls. However, it wasn't enough to get his team close to the target as they were eventually bundled out for 272.

On that note, let’s take a look at five other players who smacked six sixes in an over.

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#1 Sir Garfield Sobers

Sir Garfield Sobers became the first cricketer to slam six 6s in an over in first-class cricket. [Pic Credit - ICC]

On August 31, 1968, Sir Garfield Sobers became the first player to hit six sixes in an over in first-class cricket. Sobers achieved this feat while captaining Nottinghamshire in the English County Championship against Glamorgan in Swansea.

The bowler in question, the late Malcolm Nash, was a left-arm pacer but was asked by his captain to bowl off-spin, thinking it would help him check the stem of runs.

Surprisingly, Nash had a good match and ended with figures of 4/100 despite Sobers' assault. The Windies legend was almost dismissed on the fifth ball of the over but the fielder at long-off, Roger Davies, lost balance and fell on his back while attempting to take the catch, thus crossing the boundary rope in the process.

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#2 Ravi Shastri

Part of India's historic 1983 World Cup-winning team, Ravi Shastri equaled Sobers' achievement in 1985, playing against domestic rivals Baroda in the Ranji Trophy.

In the match, Shastri scored an unbeaten double ton in just 123 balls. The carnage came against left-arm spinner Tilak Raj as the batter jumped from a personal score of 147 to 183 runs in a single over.

Shastri broke the record for the fastest double-century in just 113 minutes and 123 balls, a record which was finally broken by Shafiqullah Shenwari of Afghanistan in 2018.

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#3 Herschelle Gibbs

Herschelle Gibbs became the first batter to hit six sixes in international cricket during the ODI World Cup of 2007.

Playing against the Netherlands, South African great Gibbs scored a quick-fire half-century as he slammed 72 runs off just 44 balls.

The match was held at Warner Park in St. Kitts, one of the smallest grounds of the tournament.

Gibbs took good advantage of the dimensions of the ground as he smashed part-time leg-spinner Daan van Bunge for six sixes in the 30th over of the innings.

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#4 Yuvraj Singh

A memory that is still fresh in our minds, Yuvraj Singh smashed Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over, following an altercation with England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.

The southpaw played the sublime knock in the Super 8 stage of the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 in Durban, South Africa.

Yuvraj also brought up the fastest fifty in international cricket as his half-century came in just 12 deliveries.

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#5 Kieron Pollard

West Indian star Kieron Pollard smashed six sixes in a single over in 2021.

Chasing a below-par target of 132 against Sri Lanka at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua and Barbuda, the Windies were in a spot of bother at 62/4 when Pollard unleashed his carnage against mystery spinner Akila Dhananjaya.

What makes the achievement even more unbelievable is that just in his previous over, Dhananjaya claimed a hat-trick, dismissing Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, and Nicholas Pooran. However, Dhananjaya seemed to have no answer for Pollard's onslaught.