3 times a cricketer's 6 smashed a window ft. Shivam Dube
T20 cricket has become a fan-favorite over the past few years, with the audience mesmerized mainly by the humungous sixes from power hitters. In addition, some of these maximums land on the roof or out of the stadium or break windows to add more spice.
Jamaica Tallawahs ( JT) all-rounder Fabian Allen pulled off one such monster in the recent outing against the Guyana Warriors in CPL 2023. Although his side ended up on the wrong side of the result, Allen's six broke the window and had fans grasping for air in excitement.
Over the years, several cricketers have struck sixes that have broken windows or car glasses, to name a few, especially in T20 cricket. Although not intended, the sixes of that ilk send fans into a frenzy and become remembered for years.
With that said, let us revisit three times a cricketer's six smashed a window.
#1 Shivam Dube
Mumbai-born Shivam Dube came into the IPL with the reputation of someone who can hit a long ball consistently out of the stadium. However, his first three IPL stints with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) saw only glimpses of Dube's power-hitting abilities.
Finally, the 30-year-old found his home under MS Dhoni for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2022 season. During their practice camp ahead of the season in Surat, it was reported that Dube was constantly breaking glass panes on the fourth tier of the stadium.
"Generally MS Dhoni hits the biggest sixes in practice. But in the practice camp at Surat, Shivam's sixes were often comfortably 20-30 metres bigger than Dhoni's. Shivam was break glass panes in the fourth tier of the Surat stadium and we knew we had a gem," a CSK source told TOI.
His big-hitting form continued through the season as Dube scored 289 runs in the 2022 season at an incredible strike rate of 156.22.
However, the southpaw took it a notch higher in undoubtedly his best IPL season in 2023, scoring 418 runs at an average of 38 and a 158.33 strike rate. His six-hitting prowess using the long levers played a massive role in CSK dismantling the opposition spinners in the middle overs.
Dube struck the fourth longest six of the 2023 season, a 111-meter monster against his former side RCB at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The southpaw also smashed the second-most sixes only behind Faf du Plessis with 35 maximums in 16 games. In the grand finale against the Gujarat Titans, Dube played a crucial knock of 32 from 21 deliveries, with two sixes to help CSK pull off a last-ball victory and lift their fifth IPL title.
His exploits helped him earn a recall to the Indian T20 side for the recent series against Ireland, where he scored a valuable 22* from 16 balls in the second game.
Shivam Dube has played 15 T20I and an ODI for Team India, with a half-century in the shorter format and five wickets.
#2 Evin Lewis
Playing for the Harare Hurricanes in the Zimbabwe Afro T10 League, West Indian power-hitter Evin Lewis struck a monster six straight down the ground off the back foot against Sikandar Raza.
The shot clattered one of the windows in the stadium, forcing the scorers sitting on the other side to duck for cover.
Opening the batting with Indian star Robin Uthappa, the duo raced to 76 in five overs, with the southpaw striking six 6s in his 24-ball 49. Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, Raza got his revenge immediately, scoring an incredible 21-ball 70 in Bulawayo's successful run chase of 135 in 9.1 overs.
Barring this knock, Lewis endured a horrendous season, managing a mere 100 runs in seven innings as the Hurricanes were eliminated in the second qualifier.
Yet, the 31-year-old is renowned as one of the best T20 batters at the top of the order, with two T20I centuries and five overall T20 tons. He has also struck 399 maximums in franchise T20 cricket and 111 in T20Is for the West Indies.
#3 Brett Lee
Although former Australian great Brett Lee was revered for his pace bowling and competitive spirit with the ball, he was one of the cleanest strikers of a cricket ball lower down the order.
That part of his game came to the forefront when Lee struck former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan for a mammoth six well over the long-on boundary. It was the quarter-final of the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy when the gigantic hit sailed out of the stadium onto the parking lot and landed straight on a car window.
The slot delivery at the perfect hitting length by Zaheer allowed Lee to clear his front leg and have a free swing at the ball.
Thankfully for Team India, the six and Lee's 31-run cameo came too little too late as they emerged victorious by 21 runs.
Apart from his all-time legendary bowling numbers with 310 Test wickets and 380 ODI scalps, the Australian struck 57 sixes in his illustrious international career.