Carlos Brathwaite, forever remembered for his legendary four consecutive sixes that won the 2016 T20 World Cup for the West Indies, recently unexpectedly displayed his power—by launching his helmet over the boundary during the MAX60 Caribbean T10 tournament in the Cayman Islands.
The incident took place after Brathwaite was dismissed while playing for the New York Strikers against the Grand Cayman Jaguars. Batting at No. 7, the 36-year-old was given out caught behind for seven runs off five balls after appearing to edge a short delivery from Ireland's Joshua Little to the wicketkeeper. However, replays indicated the ball only brushed his shoulder. Frustrated by the decision, Brathwaite reacted by angrily smashing his helmet with his bat, sending it flying over the boundary ropes.
A video of the moment quickly went viral on social media, capturing a support staff member narrowly avoiding the helmet as it flew past. Former West Indies assistant coach Toby Radford humorously analysed Brathwaite’s “shot” on X (formerly Twitter), noting: "Carlos Brathwaite showing great power-hitting technique as he strikes his batting helmet high over the boundary rope. He hits against a braced front leg and accelerates his hands and bat through the ball to generate power."
Despite the helmet drama, Brathwaite’s team managed an eight-run victory to reach the final. However, his batting woes persisted as he was dismissed for just two runs in the final, where the Strikers were bowled out for 69 while chasing 126, ultimately finishing as runners-up to the Caribbean Tigers.
While this incident drew attention, Brathwaite’s crowning moment remains his 2016 T20 World Cup heroics, where he famously took England’s Ben Stokes apart with four consecutive sixes in the final over. In his international career, Brathwaite has played 88 matches, scoring over 1,000 runs and taking 75 wickets. His last appearance for the West Indies was in 2019 against India.