After Brendon McCullum gave New Zealand a blistering start in the final ODI against Australia, like he usually does, his side gave him the perfect send-off as they defended 246 and won the Chappell-Hadlee trophy.
During his whirlwind 47, McCullum also managed to achieve something that only three players had done before him. Hit 200 sixes in ODI cricket.
Playing in his final ODI, McCullum needed three sixes to become only the fourth batsman to achieve the magical 200 in ODIs. He got there in trademark McCullum fashion as he walked down the pitch and flicked a length ball from Scott Boland into the stands over deep square leg.
Although the Kiwis wasted a good start and were bowled out for 246, the bowlers fought back strongly after the visitors themselves had also got off to a start and reduced them from 94/2 to 191 all out to seal a 55-run victory and claim the Chappell-Hadlee trophy.
McCullum finishes his ODI career as the fourth highest six-getter in ODI history, having already completed his T20I career as the player with the most sixes (91). He will now play his final two Tests against Australia, hoping to claim sole custody of the Test record for most sixes, which he currently jointly holds with Adam Gilchrist.
Only three players have scored more ODI sixes than McCullum, but they have all played more matches than the New Zealander. Shahid Afridi, who hold the ODI record is miles ahead with 351, but he has also played almost 400 matches.
In second place is Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya with 270 and Chris Gayle, who currently holds the record for an active batsman is in third place with 238 sixes.
The rest of the top ten consists largely of players who have already retired with the notable exception of two players. India’s MS Dhoni, who is sixth on the list and South Africa’s AB de Villiers, who is in eighth place are the only two active players.
Most Sixes in One Day Internationals History
| No | Player | Matches | Sixes |
| 1 | Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) | 398 | 351 |
| 2 | Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) | 445 | 270 |
| 3 | Chris Gayle (West Indies) | 269 | 238 |
| 4 | Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) | 260 | 200 |
| 5 | Sachin Tendulkar (India) | 463 | 195 |
| 6 | MS Dhoni (India) | 275 | 192 |
| 7 | Sourav Ganguly (India) | 311 | 190 |
| 8 | AB de Villiers (South Africa) | 197 | 182 |
| 9 | Ricky Ponting (Australia) | 375 | 162 |
| 10 | Chris Cairns (New Zealand) | 215 | 153 |
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download Cric Rocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more!
