Game Changing Cricket isn’t just won with centuries and big sixes — it’s also won in just one over of brilliance. A well-timed, fiery over can break a batting lineup, silence a stadium, and change the course of the game.
These are the game changing bowling spells — delivered in just six balls — that left an unforgettable mark on cricket history
10. Lasith Malinga – 4 in 4 vs South Africa (2007 World Cup)
🇱🇰 Team: Sri Lanka
Opponent: South Africa
Malinga etched his name in the history books by taking 4 wickets in 4 balls — the only bowler to do this in World Cup history. He nearly won the match single-handedly as South Africa crumbled under pressure in his bowling spells.
Game-Changer Moment: Turned a certain loss into a nerve-wracking thriller.
9. Stuart Broad – 5 Wickets in 1 Over vs India (2011)
🇬🇧 Team: England
Opponent: India (T20 World Cup)
Broad’s horror over to Yuvraj Singh — six sixes in six balls — is well remembered. But flip the script to another over in the same match, where he nearly bounced back with 4 top-order wickets in one burst.
Game-Changer Moment: Got crucial breakthroughs to regain control of the innings.
8. Irfan Pathan – Hat-trick in the First Over vs Pakistan (2006)
🇮🇳 Team: India
Opponent: Pakistan
In Karachi, Pathan shocked the home crowd with a hat-trick in the first over of the match — removing Salman Butt, Younis Khan, and Mohammad Yousuf.
Game-Changer Moment: Ripped through Pakistan’s top order before they could settle in his bowling spells.
7. Andrew Flintoff – 2 Fiery Overs vs Australia (Edgbaston 2005)
🇬🇧 Team: England
Opponent: Australia
Flintoff delivered two back-to-back overs that changed the course of the Test. Though technically two overs, his 1st over of reverse swing produced a wicket and near-unplayable deliveries — pure intimidation.
Game-Changer Moment: Set up England’s momentum for the rest of the Test.
6. Harbhajan Singh – Final Over vs Australia (2001 Kolkata Test)
🇮🇳 Team: India
Opponent: Australia
After a historic follow-on comeback, Harbhajan delivered a game-clinching over where he cleaned up the tail. He had already taken a hat-trick earlier in the Test — but his final over sealed the miracle in his bowling spells.
Game-Changer Moment: Finished what was one of India’s most historic wins.
5. Wasim Akram – Magical Over vs England (1992 World Cup Final)
🇵🇰 Team: Pakistan
Opponent: England
Akram bowled a brilliant over to dismiss Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis with two deadly inswingers, crushing England’s chase and sealing Pakistan’s World Cup victory in his bowling spells.
Game-Changer Moment: Delivered when it mattered most — in the World Cup final.
4. Shaheen Afridi – First Over vs India (T20 World Cup 2021)
🇵🇰 Team: Pakistan
Opponent: India
Shaheen stunned India with a first-over rocket, clean bowling Rohit Sharma with an in-swinger. He went on to dismiss KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, breaking India’s backbone.
Game-Changer Moment: Broke India’s top order and controlled the match from ball one in his bowling spells.
3. Anrich Nortje – Double Strike Over vs England (2023)
🇿🇦 Team: South Africa
Opponent: England
Nortje’s pace left England rattled. His over, clocking over 150 km/h, removed Stokes and Buttler — two dangerous match-winners — and flipped the momentum completely.
Game-Changer Moment: Crushed England’s chase in just one lightning-fast spell.
2. Mitchell Starc – Over That Destroyed Brendon McCullum (2015 World Cup Final)
🇦🇺 Team: Australia
Opponent: New Zealand
Starc’s early over to dismiss Brendon McCullum for a duck set the tone for a dominant Australian win. He uprooted the stumps and silenced the Kiwi hopes instantly.
Game-Changer Moment: Removed New Zealand’s biggest threat in the first few balls.
1. Kuldeep Yadav – Over vs England in his bowling spells (2018)
🇮🇳 Team: India
Opponent: England
In the middle overs of a T20I, Kuldeep turned the game with an over where he bagged 3 wickets, including Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan. The English middle order collapsed.
Game-Changer Moment: Spun a middle-overs web that won India the match.
These game changing bowling spells remind us why bowlers win matches too. One over — six balls — can bring absolute chaos or pure magic. When timed perfectly, a single over can be remembered for decades.