In a league brimming with spectacular moments and big-hitting legends, Riyan Parag etched his name in IPL folklore by becoming the first batter in IPL history to hit six sixes off successive legal deliveries. The Rajasthan Royals batter achieved this rare feat during a high-octane run chase against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens in IPL 2025.
Parag didn’t just make history—he leapt past some of the most feared finishers the IPL has ever seen, including Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, and Rinku Singh, who had all previously hit five sixes in a row.
Here’s a closer look at Parag’s explosive innings, and the legendary performances that came before it.
Riyan Parag – The First to Six in a Row
Match: RR vs KKR, Eden Gardens, IPL 2025
Chasing: 207
Stage: 102 for 5 in 12 overs
Parag arrived at a pressure point. With Rajasthan Royals in trouble, it was on him and Shimron Hetmyer to swing the game. Hetmyer took a single off the first ball of the 13th over, bringing Parag on strike. What followed was carnage.
- Four successive sixes followed off Moeen Ali—two over long-on and two over square leg.
- Moeen tried to avoid the arc with a wide delivery, but Parag was unrelenting—smashing the next legal ball over long-off.
- In the next over, he reverse-swept Varun Chakravarthy over backward point for his sixth consecutive six.
Though Rajasthan Royals ultimately lost by one run, Parag’s achievement became the talking point of the night—and IPL history.
Chris Gayle – Power Unleashed at Chinnaswamy
Match: RCB vs PW, Chinnaswamy Stadium, IPL 2012
Chasing: 183
Stage: 41* off 36 balls
Known for his brutal hitting, Chris Gayle found himself under pressure with the asking rate climbing. After a single brought him on strike in the 13th over, he unleashed five straight sixes off Rahul Sharma.
Even a change of angle—bowling around the wicket—couldn’t stop him. Gayle eventually fell for 81 off 48, but RCB clinched a last-ball victory, thanks to his blitz.
Kieron Pollard – 40 Runs in 8 Balls
Match: MI vs SRH, Wankhede, IPL 2013
Chasing: 63 off 24 balls
When Mumbai Indians needed a miracle, Pollard delivered. Facing Thisara Perera and Amit Mishra, he tore into the bowling:
- After Rohit Sharma’s single, Pollard smashed 4, 6, 6, 6 to finish a 29-run over.
- Next over, Pollard hit two more sixes, a dot, and a no-ball six, making it 40 runs off eight balls.
The chase was completed with three balls to spare. Pollard’s power-hitting remains one of the IPL’s most feared exhibitions.
Rinku Singh – The Impossible Made Possible
Match: KKR vs GT, Ahmedabad, IPL 2023
Chasing: 205
Stage: 29 needed off 6 balls
This was the ultimate finish. KKR needed 29 off the final over, and Rinku Singh turned the game on its head.
After Umesh Yadav’s single, Rinku clobbered Yash Dayal for five consecutive sixes. Full tosses, slower balls, short balls—everything disappeared into the stands. KKR sealed a record chase, and Rinku became an overnight sensation.
A Common Thread: The Second Innings Surge
Interestingly, each of these record-breaking performances came during the second innings of a match. The pressure of chasing, the need for acceleration, and the clarity of target seem to bring out the very best in these finishers.
Parag Joins the Pantheon
With his six-in-six feat, Riyan Parag has joined and surpassed some of the IPL’s most iconic names. From the brute force of Gayle and Pollard to the miracle chase of Rinku, IPL history now has a new chapter—authored by a young Assamese talent who’s taken the big stage by storm.
As the IPL continues to grow in stature, one thing’s for certain—the six-hitting bar has just been raised.
