Twitter explodes after Kieron Pollard smashes six sixes in an over off hat-trick-taker Akila Dananjaya

They say cricket is a great leveller, and that statement couldn't have been truer. In the first T20I between Sri Lanka and West Indies, off-spinner Akila Dananjaya was over the moon when he had West Indies down from 52/0 to 52/3 in the fourth over, but the happiness soon turned into a nightmare when Kieron Pollard, in the bowler's next over, carted him for six sixes in an over, thus becoming only the third cricketer after Herschelle Gibbs and Yuvraj Singh to do so in international cricket.

Pollard fashioned an ungodly madness at the Coolidge Cricket ground in Antigua, and as expected, his destructive batting sent Twitter into a frenzy. Pollard's efforts were recognized well by the cricket fraternity with fans, former cricketers and his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians tweeting in praise of the West Indies all-rounder.

Dananjaya became only the third Sri Lankan bowler after Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga to take a hat-trick for Sri Lanka, but his joy was short-lived. He had dismissed Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran off back-to-back deliveries, and West Indies lost another wicket – of Lendl Simmons to Wanindu Hasaranga – before Pollard took over. In the off-spinner's next over, destruction followed.

The first was a half-volley from Dananjaya to which Pollard took the aerial route and hit it way over long on. The next ball was pretty similar and the result was the same, only this time the ball went a lot straighter. Dananjaya fired the next ball wide of off before Pollard made it a hat-trick of sixes. The off-spinner, clearly under pressure, bowled a wrong 'un but Pollard spotted it. Four in a row.

Also Read | Kieron Pollard becomes 2nd player after Yuvraj to hit 6 sixes in an over in T20Is - WATCH

Dananjaya pulled back his length, and even though it wasn't too short, the West Indies all-rounder thumped it over midwicket to make it five out of five. Coming round the wicket, he tried to fire the ball into Pollard's pads, but the ball found the middle of the bat and went sailing over midwicket.

Pollard's blitz also allowed West Indies to notch up 98 runs in the Powerplay, the highest ever in a T20I. "I felt I could hit six sixes after the third one. I did it in the Super 50 as well. I just backed myself. Once I had five sixes I knew I had the bowler on the back foot. He was going around the wicket and it was difficult for him. I just told myself: go for it," Pollard said after the match.