Yuvraj Singh smashed six sixes in an Over
Stuart Broad became the unfortunate bowler as Yuvraj smashed six consecutive sixes, leaving the crowd stunned and the world in awe. That over not only shifted the momentum of the match but also changed the way India and the world looked at T20 cricket. Even today, those sixes remain an unforgettable memory.
The mega event of the ICC World Twenty20 on September 19, 2007, at Kingsmead, Durban, delivered an electrifying showdown between India and England. India, choosing to bat first after winning the toss, piled on 218 for 4 in their 20 overs. This was driven by a blazing opening stand. Yuvraj Singh’s historic six sixes in a single over off Yuvraj Singh. Stuart Broad. England fought hard in their chase but ended at 200 for 6, falling 18 runs short. Yuvraj’s explosive batting, particularly that unforgettable over, earned him the Player of the Match and made the game a landmark in T20 cricket.
India’s batting was a display of power and precision from the start, with openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag setting the tone on a batsman-friendly Durban pitch. The duo forged a 136-run partnership in 14.4 overs, putting England’s bowlers on the back foot. Gambhir played with controlled aggression, scoring 58 off 41 balls, including 7 fours and 1 six, at a strike rate of 141.46. His elegant cover drives and quick running kept the pressure on. Sehwag, in his trademark attacking style, smashed 68 off 52 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes, striking at 130.76. Their partnership was a mix of calculated shots and fearless hitting, giving India a flying start.
India reached 50 runs in 6.4 overs, boosted by 11 extras, including wides and leg byes. By the 11th over, they crossed 100, with the century stand coming off 74 balls. Sehwag’s fifty came off 38 balls, while Gambhir reached his off 36, both finding gaps with ease. England’s bowlers struggled to contain them. James Anderson was economical but wicketless, conceding 25 in 4 overs, while Stuart Broad and Andrew Flintoff were expensive early on.
The breakthrough came in the 14.4 over when Chris Tremlett got Sehwag caught off his own bowling. Gambhir fell soon after in the 15.3 over, caught by Broad off Darren Maddy, leaving India at 144 for 2. Robin Uthappa, coming in at three, hit a quick 6 off 4 balls but was dismissed by Tremlett in the 16.4 over, making it 155 for 3. MS Dhoni, the captain, joined the crease, playing a steady, unbeaten 10 off 8 balls to anchor the final overs. However, it was Yuvraj Singh’s arrival that turned the innings into a spectacle, particularly with his historic over that changed cricket forever.
Yuvraj Singh’s 58 off 16 balls, with 3 fours and 7 sixes at a strike rate of 362.50, was a masterclass in power-hitting. The defining moment came in the 19th over, bowled by Stuart Broad, when Yuvraj smashed six consecutive sixes, scoring 36 runs in that over alone. This made him the first player to achieve this feat in T20 internationals and only the fourth in senior cricket, joining icons like Garry Sobers, Ravi Shastri, and Herschelle Gibbs. The over was fueled by a heated exchange with Andrew Flintoff in the previous over, where Yuvraj had already hit a four and a six, igniting his aggression.
Broad’s first ball was full and outside off, and Yuvraj launched it with a mighty swing over cow corner, reportedly clearing the ground, estimated at 111 yards, though it landed beyond the boundary. The crowd roared as fireworks lit up the scoreboard. The second ball, a length delivery, was flicked off his pads with effortless flair, soaring over backward square leg into the stands. Broad, visibly shaken, switched to around the wicket for the third ball and bowled a wide full toss. Yuvraj steered it over the backward point with precision, clearing the rope for the third six.
England’s quick team huddle did little to stem the tide. The fourth ball was smashed over extra cover, flying high into the crowd. The fifth saw Yuvraj kneel and hammer a slower ball over midwicket, like a perfect golf shot landing deep in the stands. The sixth ball was met with a clean swing, soaring over wide mid-on to complete the historic feat. The stadium erupted, and Yuvraj’s fifty came off just 12 balls, the fastest in T20 at the time. This over alone took India from 171 for 3 to 207 for 3. Yuvraj fell in the 19.5 over, caught by Paul Collingwood off Flintoff, who took 1 for 33. India ended at 218 for 4, with 18 extras (7 leg byes, 1 no-ball, 10 wides). Broad’s 4-0-60-0 was the costliest spell, while Tremlett took 2 for 45, and Maddy grabbed 1 for 20. The 61-run stand between Yuvraj and Dhoni in 19 balls sealed India’s massive total.
Chasing a steep 219, England needed a blazing start and got one through openers Darren Maddy and Vikram Solanki, who raced to 53 in 5.4 overs. Maddy scored 29 off 20 balls, with 3 fours and a six, before edging one to Gautam Gambhir off Irfan Pathan’s bowling. Solanki, playing with flair, made 43 off 31 balls, hitting 5 fours and a six, but was caught by debutant Rohit Sharma off Pathan in the 10.3 over, leaving England at 96 for 2. They reached 50 in 5.2 overs and 100 in 11.1, helped by 4 extras early on.
Kevin Pietersen, England’s key batsman, kept the chase alive with a brisk 39 off 23 balls, including 3 fours and a six. His dismissal in the 14.1 over, caught and bowled by Harbhajan Singh, left England at 126 for 3, with the required rate climbing. Paul Collingwood, the captain, fought with 28 off 20 balls (2 fours, 1 six), and Owais Shah added a quick 21 off 13 (3 fours, 1 six). However, both fell to RP Singh in the 17th over, at 170 for 4 and 170 for 5, respectively, derailing the chase. Luke Wright tried to keep England in the hunt, scoring 16 off 9 balls with a four and a six, but was caught by Harbhajan off Pathan in the 19.5 over. Andrew Flintoff remained unbeaten on 8 off 4 balls with a four, while Dimitri Mascarenhas was 0 not out off 0. England finished at 200 for 6, with 16 extras (5 leg byes, 11 wides) in the match.
India’s bowlers held their nerve. Irfan Pathan was the standout with 3 for 37 in 4 overs, breaking the top order. RP Singh was sharp with 2 for 28 in 4, while Harbhajan took 1 for 35. Sreesanth (0 for 38) and Joginder Sharma (0 for 57) were costly but maintained pressure. The match, played under lights before a packed Durban crowd, lasted 85 minutes per innings. India’s win earned them 2 points, keeping their tournament hopes alive, while England’s loss ended their campaign. The game, with 418 runs and 20 sixes, was all about T20’s explosive nature, but Yuvraj’s six sixes remained the defining moment.