There are moments in cricket where time seems to freeze, the crowd holds its breath, and the bat becomes an extension of willpower. A batsman standing tall, eyes blazing, leather to the sky — six times in six deliveries. The mythical ‘6 ball 6 six’ is a rare and exhilarating spectacle. It is not just about brute strength. It’s calculation, rhythm, psychology, and pure sporting audacity. Few have conquered this Everest. And each time it happens, it changes the landscape of cricket forever.
Table of Contents
- A Glorious Phenomenon: What is 6 Ball 6 Six?
- Historical Significance: First Time the World Took Notice
- Legendary Names in the Club of Sixes
- Dissecting the Craft: What It Takes to Hit Six Sixes
- Yuvraj Singh: The 6-Sixes Icon in T20
- Herschelle Gibbs: Making History in ODIs
- Kieron Pollard: T20 Thunder and Composure
- The Forgotten Feats: Domestic and Youth Cricket Kings
- Fastest 50s and the 6-Sixes Connection
- Mental Mastery: Pressure, Ego, and Execution
- Bowler’s Perspective: Lessons in Damage Control
- Comparisons: 6 Ball 6 Six vs. Other Cricket Records
- 6 Sixes and Cricket’s Evolution into a Power Sport
- Complete List: Cricketers Who Hit Six Sixes in an Over
- Final Thoughts: Why 6 Ball 6 Six Will Always Be Magic
A Glorious Phenomenon: What is 6 Ball 6 Six?
In cricket, hitting a ball over the boundary without it touching the ground is worth six runs — the maximum you can score from a single delivery. Doing it once in an over is common for a power hitter. Twice? A statement. But all six balls in an over? That’s dominance of an entirely different dimension.
The phrase ‘6 ball 6 six’ represents perfection in batting aggression. It’s when a batsman scores 36 runs from one over, usually against the tide of tension, match context, or high-quality opposition bowling. It’s not just about individual glory — it’s history being rewritten in real-time.
Historical Significance: First Time the World Took Notice
Cricket folklore has long talked about legendary feats in domestic competitions. But the global spotlight hit this particular milestone through Ravi Shastri, who brutalized Baroda’s Tilak Raj in a first-class match in Mumbai by hammering six sixes in one over.
Before that, talk of such feats existed but was undocumented or lived in whispers of local tales. Shastri’s feat formalized the narrative. Suddenly, it wasn’t just a village fantasy — it was a record you could chase on a scoreboard.
In international cricket, the phenomenon truly exploded with Herschelle Gibbs. But more on him soon.
Legendary Names in the Club of Sixes
The list of cricketers who’ve achieved this miraculous feat is short, yet each entry brought its own character to the table.
| Player | Format | Opponent | Bowler | Notable For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garry Sobers | FC | Glamorgan | Malcolm Nash | First-ever to do it in top-class cricket |
| Ravi Shastri | FC | Baroda | Tilak Raj | First Indian to do it |
| Herschelle Gibbs | ODI | Netherlands | DLS van Bunge | First in international ODI |
| Yuvraj Singh | T20I | England | Stuart Broad | Fastest 50 in T20 |
| Kieron Pollard | T20I | Sri Lanka | Akila Dananjaya | Only West Indian to achieve in T20I |
| Jaskaran Malhotra | ODI | Papua New Guinea | Gaudi Toka | First American to do it |
These are just the international examples. Domestic and junior formats have witnessed others, but these men carved the feat into the mainframe of cricket history.
Dissecting the Craft: What It Takes to Hit Six Sixes
Let’s cut through the illusions. You don’t achieve a 6 ball 6 six moment through brute force alone. This is a blend of:
- Tempo Reading: Knowing the bowler’s rhythm and variations.
- Pitch Awareness: Judging bounce, spin, skid — in seconds.
- Body Alignment: Every muscle firing in symmetry.
- Mental Clarity: One goal, six times, no room for doubt.
Most importantly: one mistake, and you’re done. A miscue, an edge, a well-set field trap — all can end the dream mid-way. The batter needs to maintain aggression with precision. That is where legends separate from mortals.
Yuvraj Singh: The 6-Six Icon in T20
Ask any Indian cricket fan about the most iconic power-hitting moment, and you’ll hear one name: Yuvraj Singh 6 sixes against Stuart Broad.
It wasn’t just six sixes. It was cricket with attitude.
Context: India versus England, high-stakes T20 World Cup match. England skipper Andrew Flintoff chirps sledges at Yuvraj. Mistake. What follows next is nuclear fallout. In one over from Broad, Yuvraj pummels six towering sixes.
In just 12 deliveries, he reached his fifty — fastest 50 in T20 cricket. That record still stands as a benchmark of ruthless acceleration.
Breakdown of Yuvraj’s Sixes:
- Cow corner slog
- Over long-on
- Survival cut shot turned six
- Whipped square
- Lean and loft
- Clean down the ground
Each shot impeccable. Each cheer louder.
Herschelle Gibbs: Making History in ODIs
It was during the biggest tournament stage. Herschelle Gibbs sent the cricket world into a frenzy during a World Cup fixture.
Facing Netherlands and bowler Daan van Bunge, Gibbs treated each ball with disdain. The most fascinating aspect? It wasn’t frantic or risky — it looked smooth, calculated, classy.
This became the first-ever six sixes in an over in international ODI cricket. What’s more, it played a massive role in cementing South Africa’s dominance that matchday.
Gibbs’ timing was fluid, and his follow-throughs? A masterclass in balance and rhythm.
Kieron Pollard: T20 Thunder and Composure
If there’s one man who commands fear in T20 across leagues, it’s Kieron Pollard.
So when he went up against Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya and launched six consecutive sixes — just after Dananjaya had taken a hat-trick — it was poetic vengeance. Pollard, with his usual stoicism, dismantled the spinner’s rhythm with sheer force.
This moment was special. It brought together anticipation, redemption, and showmanship into one over.
Also, Pollard became one of only three cricketers at the international level to hit six sixes in six balls in T20 international history.
The Forgotten Feats: Domestic and Youth Cricket Kings
Beyond headline-makers, there are hidden legends.
- Jordan Clark, playing for Lancashire’s second XI, destroyed six balls from Yorkshire’s attack.
- Leo Carter from New Zealand—a name under the radar—created ripples in Super Smash T20.
- Ruturaj Gaikwad, in Indian domestic cricket, smoked 7 sixes in an over (including a no-ball).
These aren’t viral clips — they’re affirmations of cricket’s emerging dynamism beyond the spotlight.
Fastest Fifties and the 6-Sixes Connection
Many assume scoring 6 sixes automatically results in a record-breaking fifty. It’s not far off.
Let’s look at the overlapping trend:
| Player | Balls to Fifty | Included 6 Sixes? |
|---|---|---|
| Yuvraj Singh | 12 | Yes |
| Chris Gayle | 13 | No (but 5 sixes) |
| AB de Villiers | 16 | No (4 sixes) |
Clearly, 6 ball 6 six links strongly with fastest fifties — but it’s not the only way. What it does guarantee, though, is momentum so forceful it can flip a match within minutes.
Mental Mastery: Pressure, Ego, and Execution
Pulling off six sixes is not just technical skill — it’s psychological clarity under fire.
Each successive six shifts pressure — from batter to bowler, then swings back. Once three sixes are hit, the world pays attention. The player starts to feel it: journalists, crowd, social media pressure — all flash across the mind mid-over.
It takes ego control, game awareness, and brutal honesty with one’s form to go for glory and sustain it all through.
Bowler’s Perspective: Lessons in Damage Control
Let’s not ignore the other side.
The bowler — often remembered only in meme reels — is undergoing mental torture. Field placements seem invisible. Yorkers turn into juicy floaters. Confidence drains in seconds.
What can a bowler do?
- Switch to unorthodox lines
- Bowl wide yorkers legally
- Change pace drastically
But when a batter is in cosmic rhythm, even the best plans fail.
Stuart Broad, later reflective and sporting, admitted: “That over taught me about resilience… and humility.”
Comparisons: 6 Ball 6 Six vs. Other Cricket Records
It’s a spectacle. A live-action trailer for cricket’s power era. Comparable only to the likes of 10 wickets in an innings or double super overs in terms of breathing suspense.
| Record Type | Rarity | Excitement Level |
|---|---|---|
| Triple Century | Common | High |
| Five Wickets in 5 Balls | Ultra-rare | High |
| Fastest Century (balls) | Medium | Very High |
| Six Sixes in an Over | Rare | Electrifying |
6 Sixes and Cricket’s Evolution into a Power Sport
Once upon a time, cricket was about patience. Today, six-hitting defines commercial T20 leagues, team selections, and audience attraction.
The bat designs, boundary dimensions, and athlete training have all adapted to support power-hitters. 6 ball 6 six moments are not flukes anymore. They are strategically engineered.
It’s why franchises invest in hitters like Andre Russell, Liam Livingstone, or Hardik Pandya — not all have hit six sixes, but each has the potential.
Complete List: Cricketers Who Hit Six Sixes in an Over
| Player | Format | Team | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Gary Sobers | FC | Nottingham | Glamorgan |
| Ravi Shastri | FC | Mumbai | Baroda |
| Herschelle Gibbs | ODI | South Africa | Netherlands |
| Yuvraj Singh | T20I | India | England |
| Kieron Pollard | T20I | West Indies | Sri Lanka |
| Jaskaran Malhotra | ODI | USA | PNG |
| Leo Carter | T20 (Dom.) | Canterbury | Northern Knights |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | List A | Maharashtra | Uttar Pradesh |
A growing club. Exclusive, legendary, and coveted.
Final Thoughts: Why 6 Ball 6 Six Will Always Be Magic
There are stats. Then there are stories.
The ‘6 ball 6 six’ narrative feeds into the primal love for sport — conquest, surprise, adrenaline. It renders the individual powerful, immortal, if only for one fleeting over.
Every upcoming batter dreams of that one over. Every bowler fears it. Fans? They wait — hoping to witness the next miracle at the crease.
Because when a batter hits six sixes in six balls, it’s not just a highlight.
It’s a moment that stamps itself onto cricket’s very soul.
FAQ: Quick Answers for Search and Snippets
Yuvraj Singh, Herschelle Gibbs, Kieron Pollard, and Jaskaran Malhotra are among those who have achieved this in international matches.
Which batsman scored the fastest fifty with six sixes?
Yuvraj Singh scored the fastest fifty in T20s in just 12 balls with six sixes against Stuart Broad.
Is anyone likely to break this record soon?
With the growth of T20 leagues and evolving batting techniques, many players like Glenn Maxwell or Andre Russell show promise, but it’s still a rare feat.
Keep watching. Because somewhere, in a stadium near or far, the next 6 ball 6 six might just be on its way.
