Most Sixes in ODI Cricket
There is no denying that one can hit a ball for a six by just timing it to perfection, however if you possess a powerful bottom hand coupled with a great built, it becomes a natural thing. Having the gift of timing with a great bottom hand is perhaps the two most important things necessary to launch the ball long and high.
In the early years of cricket, there weren’t many who could do that, but as the game has evolved over the years and with the advent of T20 cricket, the world has started seeing more cricketers with the penchant for hitting sixes.
Pakistan former cricketer, Shahid Afridi holds the record for hitting the most sixes in one-day internationals.
In this article, here we look at the top 5 cricketers with most sixes in ODI:
#1. Shahid Afridi
An entertainer, a crowd-puller, Shahid Afridi is one of the most loved cricketers in Pakistan. The former Pakistan skipper enjoyed an illustrious career in limited over’s format. Having made his debut as a replacement for Mushtaq Ahmed, he left everyone in awe after striking a 37-ball century in only his second ODI against Sri Lanka in 1996.
He went on to play many such blistering knocks, showing the world his big-hitting ability. Fondly known to be a big match player, Afridi make stellar contributions with both bat and ball in almost all the big tournaments he had been part of in his career.
While many did not support his eccentric technique of batting, he never listened to anyone and kept doing what he knew the best. In his career, he has hit many boundaries and also holds the record for hitting the most sixes in ODIs.
Having represented in as many as 398 one-day internationals, for Pakistan, Shahid Afridi has hit 351 sixes and scored 8094 runs with a strike rate of 117.00.
#2. Chris Gayle
Fondly known as the ambassador of T20 cricket, Chris Gayle holds a terrific record in all three formats of the game. The West Indies cricketer has a penchant for hitting big sixes and perhaps there is no batsman in the game matching his ability to strike big and long.
Chris Gayle holds the records for hitting the second most number of sixes in One-Day internationals. He has hit 331 sixes in one-day internationals, twenty shy of reaching the top.
Chris Gayle has represented in 300 one-day internationals for West Indies, scoring 10,480 runs at an average and strike rate of 37.7 and 87.2.
#3. Sanath Jayasuriya
Years went ordinary since making his debut for Sri Lanka, Sanath Jayasuriya finally made his presence known in 1996 World Cup. From there onwards, the Lankan cricketer was unstoppable and is considered, today, among the best cricketers the nation has ever produced.
Known for his aggressive brand of cricket, the Southpaw taught everyone how to make full use of first fifteen overs in cricket. His ability to hit boundaries on a consistent basis for Sri Lanka was perhaps unparallel.
In his illustrious career, Jayasuriya has hit many a sixes and is in fact sits at the third spot in the list of batsmen with most number of sixes in one-day internationals. Sanath Jayasuriya has struck 270 sixes in his One-Day International career that spanned between 1989 and 2011.
#4. Rohit Sharma
The Indian vice-captain of the limited over’s format, Rohit Sharma is regarded among the best openers in limited over’s game going around in the current era. The 33-year old cricketer, on his day, can wreak havoc irrespective of the opposition he is playing against.
Fondly known as the Hit-man, Rohit Sharma is the fourth highest in the world right now who holds the record for hitting most sixes in One-Day internationals.
The Indian cricketer has represented India in 224 One-Day Internationals for India so far in his career. He has racked up 9115 runs at an average of 49.3.
Standing fourth in the list, Rohit Sharma has struck 244 sixes in his One-Day career so far.
#5. MS Dhoni
Having made the reputation of being the best finisher in world cricket, MS Dhoni’s name in the illustrious list isn’t surprising. Coming in as late as number 5 or sometimes six and still managing to hit 229 sixes in his career tells a lot about the kind of player he has been in his career.
He is currently the fifth-highest to have hit the most number of sixes in ODI matches.
Making his debut in 2004, Dhoni went on to become one of the greatest captains the world has ever seen. The Ranchi cricketer gave India all they were wishing for all these years, most importantly winning the prestigious 2011 World Cup.
