Top 5 batsmen with most sixes in ODI cricket

One-day cricket has evolved over the years. From a time when 250 was considered a match-winning score and getting to 300 a massive achievement, to the present era where 350-plus is more of a norm than an exception, things have changed drastically in the ODI format.

Along with the massive scores, strike rates of batsmen have also been on the ascendancy. Till the early 2000s, batsmen were mostly striking in the 70s and 80s. But such a strike rate would be ineffective in today’s times. With the IPL and other T20 tournaments around, batsmen have started scoring quicker in ODIs as well.

With three slots of powerplays in place, batsmen have the freedom to go after the bowling for an elongated period of time. Simultaneously, there has been a rise in the number of sixes being hit in ODI games.

In this feature, we take a look at the top 5 batsmen with most sixes in ODI cricket.

#5 MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

The former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is at number five in the list with 229 sixes to his name.

Dhoni may not be a consistently big hitter these days, but on the rare occasions that he hits them hard, they still stay hit. There was a time in international cricket when he was among the most feared batsmen in the world owing to his ability to hit monstrous sixes on a frequent basis.

Dhoni has so far played exactly 350 ODIs in which he has amassed 10,773 at an average of 50.57 with 10 hundreds and 73 fifties, with a strike rate that is on the wane - 87.56. Currently, the Chennai Super Kings captain is in the news for being away from international cricket without announcing retirement.

There have been mixed views from former cricketers and experts over Dhoni’s impending retirement. The man himself has been maintaining a stoic silence.

Also see – World Test Championship points table

#4 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma, the present Indian one-day vice-captain, has smashed 232 sixes in 218 matches.

Rohit, who was the man of the match in the Visakhapatnam Test with a century in each innings on debut as opener (176 and 127), has been in sensational form of late. He hit as many as five hundreds in World Cup 2019 before coming a cropper in the semi-finals against New Zealand, falling for just 1.

Rohit is among the few Indian batsmen who enjoy the short ball, which explains why he hits a lot of sixes against the pacers as well. As for slow bowling, when set, hitting maximums against them is easy meat for him.

If Rohit carries on in the same vein, there is every possibility that he may end his career as the batsman with most sixes in ODIs.

#3 Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya

It is hardly a surprise that Sanath Jayasuriya finds his name in the top three. The former Sri Lankan hard-hitting batsman, renowned for revolutionizing the one-day game with his power-packed shots during the field restrictions, hit a total of 270 sixes.

Jayasuriya, with his strong forearms and wristy flicks, could hit sixes on the biggest of grounds. And on his day, he was just unstoppable - like Manoj Prabhakar found out during a 1996 World Cup game, and later the England bowlers during the quarterfinal of the same tournament.

Few could match Jayasuriya’s big-hitting ability in his era.

Apart from his penchant for hitting sixes, Jayasuriya’s overall record also points towards him being a legend of the one-day game. With 445 matches, he is third among players with most ODI games.

Jayasuriya scored a massive 13,430 runs with 28 hundreds and 68 fifties at an average of 32.36, but more significantly at a strike rate of 91.20. The 270 sixes apart, Jayasuriya also hit a total of 1500 fours during his illustrious one-day career.

#2 Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle, the Universe Boss, is at number two on the list, with his much-renowned penchant for big-hitting. The maverick left-handed batsman from West Indies has 331 sixes from 301 matches.

Gayle is known for his stand and deliver style, with minimal footwork. And despite obvious deficiencies in his technique, he has carved out a highly successful career, which could have been even more impressive had it not been for constant run-ins with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

Having said that, 10,480 runs with 25 hundreds and 54 fifties make for a highly accomplished ODI career. Gayle has scored his runs at a strike rate of 87.19, and is among the few cricketers with a one-day double hundred to his name.

A lot was expected of him in his last World Cup, but it turned out to be quite an anti-climax as West Indies, as a whole, struggled in the tournament. He did smash 72 off 41 against India at Port of Spain on 14 August 2019, in what may very well turn out to be his last ODI game.

#1 Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi

Who else but Shahid Afridi, the feared ball-whacker, leading the list of most sixes in one-day internationals?

The former Pakistan all-rounder hit as many as 351 sixes in his 398-match career. So obsessed was Afridi with hitting sixes, he would after the bowling irrespective of the situation of the match.

While that made him a hero in a few games, it mostly led to his downfall, as bowlers knew what to expect of him. They set the big-hitting trap for him, and he more often than not fell for it.

Afridi’s utter disregard for the state of the match is very much evident in his underwhelming numbers. Despite getting an opportunity to bat 369 times in his ODI career, Afridi only managed to finish with 8064 at a poor average of 23.57.

He opened the batting on a number of occasions, yet only managed 6 hundreds and 39 fifties. It is his strike rate of 117 that stood out, only reiterating his love for big hits.