Biggest hitters – Batsmen with most sixes in international cricket
Six is the highest unit in cricket. An over consists of six balls. Maximum runs that a batsman can fetch on his own are six. With the advent of T20, six has become a common phenomenon for batsmen all over the world. However, a few have been muscling them for a long time. Here are the batsmen with most sixes in international cricket.
MS Dhoni (India)
Whom we today know as ‘Captain Cool’, MS Dhoni was an extra-ordinary power-hitter in international cricket when he began. His brutal strength was on display on many of the occasions. In his glorious international career, he sent the ball flying over boundary 359 times. 229 of these came in ODIs while he hit more sixes in Tests (78 sixes) than T20Is (52 sixes).
Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)
Brendon McCullum is famous for not only hitting a lot of sixes but also the way he hits them. He employed his ‘ramp’ shot against the fastest bowlers in cricket. Batting fearlessly, sixes was McCullum’s dealing currency. He has hit 107 sixes in Tests, 200 in ODIs and 91 in T20Is.
Rohit Sharma (India)
The man who hits effortless sixes, or at least that’s how they look. The ball absolutely flies off Rohit Sharma’s bat when he is on a song. He holds the joint-record for hitting most sixes in an ODI innings. Out of his total 423 sixes, 244 have come in ODIs while 127 are in the 20-over format. In his discrete Test career, he has slammed 52 sixes.
Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
Boom boom! Whenever Shahid Afridi came out to bat, the fans were at the edge of their seats. And he rarely disappointed them. Batting in a ‘boom or bust’ fashion, Afridi struck 476 sixes in international cricket. 351 of these came in 369 ODI innings which amounts to almost one every game. He hit 52 sixes in Tests while 73 of them were in T20Is.
Chris Gayle (West Indies)
The West Indian opener who made his debut in the year 1999 has gone on to become the king of sixes! Gayle is nearing 1000 sixes in T20 cricket but for this record, let us consider his international appearances only. In 98 Test matches, he has sent the ball soaring above the fence 98 times. Gayle has smashed 331 sixes in 294 ODI innings whereas 105 sixes have come in T20Is. The whopping tally stands unmatched in international cricket.
