Renowned former West Indies cricketer Kieron Pollard made history by hitting Afghanistan's spin maestro Rashid Khan for five sixes in The Hundred tournament. Representing the Southern Brave, Pollard, the former West Indian captain, dominated Trent Rockets' spinner Rashid by smashing five maximums in a single over, leading his team to a thrilling 2-wicket victory. This remarkable feat has established Pollard as the first player to achieve such a milestone in both T20 and The Hundred formats.
Initially struggling in his innings, Pollard was unbeaten at 6 runs from 14 balls. With the game slipping away from the hosts and needing 49 runs off the last 20 balls, Pollard seized the moment when Rashid bowled his final over. Displaying his power-hitting prowess, Pollard scored 30 runs off the over, reducing the required runs to 19 off the final 15 balls. Although Pollard departed after scoring 45 runs off 23 balls, it was Chris Jordan who kept his composure and guided the hosts to victory with a six on the penultimate ball.
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During a T20I contest in 2021 against Sri Lanka, Pollard made headlines by hitting Akila Dananjaya for six sixes in a single over.
Despite the impressive feat, Pollard was not pleased with the predicament his team found themselves in prior to his heroic performance.
"Hopefully some lessons learnt and we won't put ourselves in such a situation next time around," he said after the game.
Upon reflecting on his performance against Rashid Khan, Pollard acknowledged their shared history and familiarity with each other's play.
"I've played a lot against him, and he's gotten me out many times. But I knew the lines and lengths he was likely to bowl," Pollard said.
"I just backed myself - if he bowled short, I was going across; if he went full, I was going to hit straight. He bowled three fuller balls, and they were right in my arc. At that point, I couldn't hold back, I had to go for maximums. But Rashid is a world-class bowler; we've played a lot against each other," he added.
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