Out of the park: Top five captains with most international sixes
Hitting a six is not everyone’s cup of tea. Some players try to use their brute strength to hit, but they are not able to persist. Only the ones who combine finesse with strength are the ones who are able to make it through the years and play for decades. There are some cricketers, who manage to do all of this, while handling the pressure of being the captain of their national teams too. So, here’s a look at the list of 5 such players, who have hit the most number of sixes, while leading their nation’s team.
5. AB de Villiers (135 sixes in 124 matches)
Popularly known as ‘Mr. 360’ in the cricketing circles, Abraham Benjamin de Villiers, is placed at the 5th spot in this list. While he was active in international cricket, he was known for his ability to hit the most feared bowlers over the fence, by playing some of the quirkiest shots that have ever been played in international cricket.
AB, in some sense, defined what modern-day cricket was, and the way it was supposed to be played, given the changing formats and the playing conditions, evolving with every passing game. He was the captain of the Proteas in as many as 124 matches and in that time, he hit as many as 135 sixes.
4. Brendon McCullum (170 sixes in 121 matches)
Falling short of equalling the record of the second place holder by just one six, Brendon McCullum, the now-retired New Zealand cricket player, holds the 4th position in this list. The best example of McCullum’s ability to play aggressively is the fact that he scored the fastest Test century in his 101st and final match for New Zealand before retiring.
All over the world, people have hailed McCullum’s class as a cricketer and he has received praise for his abilities from fans and greats of the game. He was the captain of the New Zealand Cricket Team in 121 matches through the course of which, he hit a total of 170 sixes, across formats.
3. Ricky Ponting (171 sixes in 324 matches)
Ricky Ponting is one of the most celebrated names in world cricket. While he was active, his finesse with the bat left everyone in awe and the bowlers made it their priority to get him out as soon as possible, else he would go on to play marathon innings and score mountains of runs.
Placed at the third position in this list, Ponting made sure every time he faced a loose delivery, it was given proper treatment. In the 324 matches he played in international cricket, he hit a total of 171 sixes, across all formats. In Tests, he hit 37, in ODIs 126 and in the shortest format of the game of cricket, the T20Is, he hit 11 sixes in total.
2. MS Dhoni (211 sixes in 332 matches)
The most decorated captain in the world ever, in terms of winning the ICC Tournaments, MS Dhoni makes his way in at the number two spot in this list. Right since his early days in international cricket, Dhoni’s abilities to hit the ball with brute force into the stands has been lauded by everyone.
Known for finishing the matches by hitting a six whenever he gets a chance, Dhoni, even when India won the World Cup in 2011 under his captaincy, made sure to finish off the match in style, by hitting the ball over the boundary rope for a six. Dhoni, in his playing days, perfected the art of hitting sixes in every format of the sport. He captained India in 332 matches and hit a total of 211 sixes in international matches, while holding the post.
1. Eoin Morgan (222 sixes in 171 matches)
The Irishman who led England to their first ICC Cricket World Cup victory in 2019, Eoin Morgan has proven to be a boon to the England Cricket team since his debut. A fine white-ball batsman and an equally able leader of the team, who makes sure to set enough examples for his mates to follow.
Morgan has led the England cricket team to grow after greats like Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell left the team. Morgan, with the bat has the ability to hit the ball over the boundary rope at will and finds his place at the top of this list of players, thanks to the 222 sixes in the 170 matches that he has hit as a captain.
