5 moments of cricketing brilliance from 2021
The year 2021 saw some memorable performances on the cricket field. It began with Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari battling pain to pull off an incredible draw for India in Sydney. In the next Test at the Gabba, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant came up with brilliant knocks. The duo's efforts helped India chase down 328 to pull off an improbable triumph.
New Zealand, meanwhile, created cricketing history more than once. First, they defeated India with ease to be crowned the inaugural World Test champions. Towards the end of the year, left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel became the first Kiwi bowler and only the third overall to claim 10 wickets in an innings in a Test. The feat was all the more special as Ajaz achieved it in the city of his birth - Mumbai.
While Australia won their first-ever T20 World Cup title, Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan became the first batter to smash 1000 T20I runs in a calendar year.
Breathtaking cricketing moments of 2021
Apart from the above-mentioned performances, there were some special efforts on the cricket field, which were brief in duration but spectacular nonetheless. We look back at five such instances from 2021.
#5 MS Dhoni rolls back the clock
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni struggled with the bat in IPL 2021. But in Qualifier 1 against Delhi Capitals (DC), he turned back the clock briefly. The former India skipper played a blazing cameo (18* off 6) to lift CSK to the final.
Chasing 173, CSK needed 24 off the last two overs. The well-set Ruturaj Gaikwad (70) perished to Avesh Khan on the first ball of the 19th over. Dhoni, however, came in and pummeled a six over deep midwicket. The equation was still a tough 13 off the last over.
Few tears in the stands, from CSK supporters, and probably from Sakshi too. This 18* off 6 will go down in history. Such an wholesome experience and visuals ❤️😭
#Dhoni #CSKvsDC
Tom Curran then dismissed Moeen Ali (16) with the first delivery of the last over. However, Dhoni smashed Curran for three thumping fours to seal the deal for CSK. A back of a length delivery was whacked over extra cover while the next one was inside edged to the boundary. Dhoni brought up the winning runs by clobbering Curran for a four to deep square leg.
#4 Kieron Pollard’s six sixes
West Indies’ limited-overs captain Kieron Pollard hit six sixes in an over against Sri Lanka. He managed the feat in the first T20I of a three-match series in Coolidge. West Indies were only set 132 for victory. But Akila Dananjaya kept the visitors in the hunt by claiming a hat-trick in the fourth over.
Pollard, however, smashed the same bowler for six sixes when he came into the attack again. While the first one was slogged over long-on, the second was lofted down the ground. The Windies skipper completed a hat-trick of sixes by clubbing the third ball over wide long-off. The fourth delivery was slammed over deep midwicket, the fifth over the bowler’s head and the last ball again over deep midwicket.
The iconic moment when Kieron Pollard completed 6 sixes in an over. Commentary of @irbishi is amazing as usual. https://t.co/k2awKCJHnQ
Pollard became only the third cricketer to slam six sixes in an over in international cricket, joining Yuvraj Singh and Herschelle Gibbs. He was dismissed for 38 off 11 but West Indies eased to victory in 13.1 overs.