Most Sixes in Cricket History [Complete List of Records]


Cricket is a game of statistics, and there is perhaps no better statistic that puts fear in the minds of a bowler than the ability of a batsman to hit a six! In fact, the ability of a batsman to hit sixes often earns them a nickname!

Chris Gayle holds the record for hitting the most sixes in cricket history. Chris Gayle has hit a total of 534 sixes in international matches of which 331 sixes were in ODI matches, 105 sixes in T20i, and 98 sixes in Test Match cricket in his international career.

In this article, we will take a detailed look at the various six-hitting statistics in Cricket. A word of warning – this article is going to be a bit statistics-heavy. But, by the end of this post, you will surely take away some cool stats to show off!

So, buckle up your seat belts and let’s get started!

Topics Covered in This Article

    Most Sixes by a Batsman in Cricket

    There are several players who have been known for destroying a bowling attack at their own will. But, in order to hit most sixes as a batsman throughout their career in cricket, not only does he need to have the ability to pack powerful hits, but also be technically sound and have the all-round capability to have a long career.

    So, let’s look at the most sixes by a batsman in their cricket career.

    Most Sixes by a Batsman in Cricket Career [Combined]

    Let’s first look at the total sixes hit in all international matches that include ODI matches, test matches, and T20 matches.

    RankBatsman NameCountryNo. of Sixes
    1Chris GayleWest Indies534
    2Shahid AfridiPakistan476
    3Rohit SharmaIndia426
    4Brendon McCullumNew Zealand398
    5MS DhoniIndia359
    (Source)

    It is important to note that Rohit Sharma is the only active player in the list of cricketers with most sixes as a batsman in international cricket.

    Let’s take a look at most sixes by a batsman in each of the different forms of cricket –

    Most Sixes by a Batsman in One Day International (ODI) Matches

    You might think that the list of most sixes in ODI matches would be similar to the overall record. However, it is not the case.

    Shahid Afridi has hit the most sixes as a batsman in One Day International (ODI) matches throughout his career.

    While some batsmen like to hit sixes mostly in limited-overs cricket, others don’t limit their six-hitting ability to depend on the type of match.

    Let’s take a look at who are the top 5 batsmen with most sixes in ODI matches –

    RankBatsman NameCountryNo. of Sixes
    1Shahid AfridiPakistan351
    2Chris GayleWest Indies331
    3Sanath JayasuriyaSri Lanka270
    4Rohit SharmaIndia244
    5MS DhoniIndia229
    (Source)

    When it comes to ODI matches, there is none better than “Boom Boom Afridi” at hitting sixes! That said, it is interesting to note that even though Afridi has been known mostly for his six hitting abilities, when it comes to average sixes per match, he doesn’t even come near the top the table!

    Average Number of Sixes Per Match by a Batsman in One Day International (ODI) Matches

    RankNameCountryNo. of SixesODI MatchesSixes/Match
    1Kieron PollardWest Indies1251131.11
    2Chris GayleWest Indies3313011.10
    3Rohit SharmaIndia2442241.09
    4Glenn MaxwellAustralia1161161.00
    5Martin GuptilNew Zealand1761830.96
    6Aaron FinchAustralia1261320.95
    7Eoin MorganEngland2182420.90
    8AB de VilliersSouth Africa2042280.89
    9Shahid AfridiPakistan3513980.88
    10Paul StirlingIreland1091250.87
    Data updated until March 2021. Minimum 100 sixes considered for calculation

    As you can notice from the above stats, it would be incorrect to consider Shahid Afridi the most destructive ODI batsman even though he has hit the maximum number of sixes.

    In my opinion, Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma are far more destructive as a batsman as they have hit more sixes on average per match than most other batsmen, and they have done that consistently!

    Most Sixes by a Batsman in Test Match Cricket

    Test Matches are usually a test of a batsman’s technical abilities. In a test match, a batsman is not tested based on his six-hitting prowess, rather on his ability to stay at the wicket longer and score runs. That said, some batsmen just prefer to score runs with sixes even in Test Matches. This would be evident from the below table!

    Most sixes by a batsman in Test Match Cricket

    RankBatsman NameCountryNo. of Sixes
    1Brendon McCullumNew Zealand107
    2Adam GilchristAustralia100
    3Chris GayleWest Indies98
    4Jack KallisSouth Africa97
    5Virendra SehwagIndia91
    (Source)

    As you may notice, Chris Gayle is the only batsman who consistently features in all the record related to most sixes in cricket. In my opinion, Chris Gayle is aptly termed as the “Universal Boss”!

    Amongst the active cricketers, Ben Stokes is the highest-ranked batsman for hitting the most sixes in test matches. He currently ranks 14th on the all-time list (as of 31st March 2021). Other top-ranking active cricketers include – Tim Southee, Rohit Sharma, David Warner, and Stuart Broad!

    Most Sixes by a Batsman in T20 International Cricket

    T20 cricket is demands sixes from a batsman. In fact, many players have actually first been picked as a T20 cricketer and then promoted to other formats. So, let’s take a look at the record for most sixes by a batsman in T20i.

    Most Sixes by a Batsman in T20i Matches

    RankBatsman NameCountryNo. of Sixes
    1Rohit SharmaIndia127
    2Martin GuptilNew Zealand124
    3Eoin MorganEngland113
    4Colin MunroNew Zealand107
    5Chris GayleWest Indies105
    (source)

    *Note – since T20 is still a newer format of cricket and the records are always evolving, we will try to update this records table at least once a year. You can view the latest stats by click on the “source” link at the bottom of the table. This information was last updated on 31st March 2021.

    Record for Most Sixes in ODI Matches

    While we have looked at the stats for most sixes by a batsman throughout their career in each of the three formats of the game, let’s take a look at each format individually. In the following stats, we shall take a look at the record for most sixes in a single match.

    So, let’s dive right in!

    Most Sixes by a Batsman in an Innings (ODI Match)

    While a batsman may or may not have hit several sixes in their career, this record is quite unique as it shows the performance and control of a batsman during a single ODI match!

    S. NoName (Country)Sixes HitRuns ScoredScorecard link
    1Eoin Morgan (ENG)17148ENG vs AFG
    2Rohit Sharma (IND)16209IND vs AUS
    3AB de Villiers (SA)16149SA vs WI
    4Chris Gayle (WI)16215WI vs ZIM
    5Shane Watson (AUS)15185*AUS vs BAN
    (source)

    As usual, Chris Gayle is a common feature to see in the six hitting records.

    Most Sixes by a Team in an Innings (ODI Match)

    There are occasions when an individual player almost single-handedly wins the match for the team. But, there have been some sensational ODI matches where there was an overall contribution for multiple players to secure the record for most sixes by a team in an ODI match!

    Most Sixes by a Team in an Innings of an ODI Match

    S. NoTeamSixes HitOppositionResult
    1England25AfghanistanWon
    2England24West IndiesWon
    3West Indies23EnglandLost
    4New Zealand22West IndiesWon
    5West Indies22EnglandLost
    (source)

    It is interesting to note that both England and West Indies have hit more than 20 sixes in an innings twice. While England have won both their matches, West Indies have lost both their matches! Only one of the two matches were between the two teams.

    Fun fact
    During the 1st ODI of England’s Tour of West Indies in 2019, West Indies secured the record by hitting 23 sixes against England while scoring 360/8 in the first innings. Even though England hit only 6 sixes, they managed to win the match comfortably with 8 balls to spare.

    England then took the revenge in the 4th ODI of the same series by hitting 24 sixes and breaking the world record set by West Indies just a few matches ago! Even though West Indies tried hard by hitting 22 sixes in the 2nd innings of the same match, they fell 29 runs short!

    Most Sixes hit in an ODI Match by Both Teams

    When it comes to most sixes hit in an ODI match, the iconic “Australia vs South Africa” match first comes to mind. But, that is not the case!

    England and West Indies hold the record for hitting most sixes in an ODI Match by both teams. During the 4th ODI match of England’s tour of West Indies in 2019, both teams managed to hit a total of 46 sixes in the match!

    Most sixes hit in an ODI Match by Both Teams

    S. NoTeam 1Team 2Total Sixes HitWinner
    1England (24)West Indies (22)46England
    2India (19)Australia (19)38India
    3England (25)Afghanistan (8)33England
    4India (18)New Zealand (13)31India
    5New Zealand (15)West Indies (16)31New Zealand

    Record for Most Sixes in Test Matches

    It is uncommon to see batsmen hit several sixes during a test match. But, at times, there have been occasions when unusually higher number of sixes were hit in a test match. So, let’s take a look at some of these unusual stats.

    Most Sixes by a Player in an Innings (Test Match)

    Let’s first take a look at the most sixes by a player in a single innings!

    S. NoPlayer NameNo. of SixesRuns ScoredOpposition
    1Wasim Akram (PAK)12257*Zimbabwe
    2Nathan Astle (NZ)11222England
    3Mathew Hayden (AUS)11380Zimbabwe
    4Brendon McCullum (NZ)11202Pakistan
    5Brendon McCullum (NZ)11195Sri Lanka
    6Ben Stokes (ENG)11258South Africa
    (source)

    Rohit Sharma holds the record for hitting the most sixes (13) by a batsman in a Test Match. During a test match against South Africa, in Visakhapatnam in 2019, Rohit hit 6 sixes in the first innings and another 7 sixes in the second innings to hit a total of 13 sixes!

    Most Sixes by a Team in an Innings of a Test Match

    Here’s a list of most sixes hit by a single team in an innings of a test match –

    S. NoTeamNo. of SixesInningsOppositionResult
    1New Zealnd222ndPakistanWon
    2Australia171stZimbabweWon
    3Pakistan151stNew ZealandWon
    4India152ndSri LankaWon
    5South Africa151stWest IndiesDraw
    (source)

    Most Sixes in a Test Match by Both Teams

    Most Sixes hit in a Test Match by both teams is 37 by India and South Africa. During a test match between India and South Africa in Visakhapatnam in 2019, India hit a total of 27 sixes (13 in the 1st innings and 14 in the 2nd), whereas South Africa hit 10 sixes (7 in 1st innings and 3 in the 2nd).

    Even though New Zealand holds the record for hitting most sixes in an innings, that test match against Pakistan doesn’t hold the record for the highest number of sixes by both teams.

    Let’s take a look in detail –

    S. NoTeam 1Team 2SixesWinner
    1India (27)South Africa (10)37India
    2New Zealand (22)Pakistan (13)35New Zealand
    3Pakistan (18)India (9)27Draw
    4New Zealand (17)Bangladesh (10)27Draw
    5Bangladesh (12)New Zealand (12)24New Zealand
    (source)

    Now let’s move on to the most exciting format of international cricket – T20!

    Record for Most Sixes in T20 Matches

    It is quite obvious that the most number of sixes are seen in the shortest format of the game i.e. T20 internationals. However, since T20 has only been a recent addition, the total number of sixes records haven’t yet reached the levels that it can’t be broken.

    That said, let’s take a look at some of the records for sixes in T20 cricket matches.

    Most Sixes By a Batsman in an Innings (T20 Match)

    Hitting sixes in a T20 match is not an uncommon sight. In fact, you perhaps would be surprised by the number of sixes a batsman may hit in such a short format of a the game.

    Overall, Chris Gayle holds the record for hitting 18 sixes in a single T20 innings while playing for Rangpur Riders against Dhaka Dynamites. However, Hazratullah Zazai of Afghanistan holds the record for hitting 16 sixes in a single international T20 innings against Ireland.

    Here’s the list of Players who hit most sixes in an innings of a T20 international cricket match –

    S. NoPlayer NameOppositionNo. of SixesFinal Score
    1Hazratullah Zazai (AFG)Ireland16162* (62)
    2Aaron Finch (AUS)England14156 (63)
    3George Munsey (SCO)Netherlands14127* (56)
    4Richard Levi (SA)New Zealand13117* (51)
    5Evan Lewis (WI)India12125* (62)
    (Source)

    It is interesting to note that Chris Gayle doesn’t feature in the top 5 in this list although he is ranked 6th and 7th on the list 11 & 10 sixes respectively.

    It is important to note that the above list only indicates international T20 matches and doesn’t include and domestic T20 series.

    Most Sixes by a Team in an Innings (T20 Match)

    Here’s a list of most sixes hit by a team in an innings of a T20 match –

    S. NoTeamSixes HitFinal ScoreOpposition
    1Afghanistan22278/3Ireland
    2West Indies21245/6India
    3India21260/5Sri Lanka
    4Scotland20252/3Netherlands
    5Netherlands19193/4Ireland
    (source)

    Note – only international T20 cricket matches have been considered for the above table.

    It is interesting to note that the record list for most sixes in an innings often contains a lot of teams from domestic leagues. Perhaps, it is not surprising to as the most T20 matches are played within the domestic circuits.

    Most Sixes in a Single T20 Cricket Match (by Both Teams)

    In order to be on the top of the list of this record, it requires not one but both the teams to hit plenty of sixes during a cricket match.

    Here’s the list of most sixes by both teams in a T20 Cricket Match –

    S. NoTeam 1Team 2Total SixesWinner
    1West Indies (21)India (11)32West Indies
    2New Zealand (18)Australia (14)32Australia
    3India (21)Sri Lanka (10)31India
    4Ireland (11)Netherlands (19)30Netherlands
    5Afghanistan (22)Ireland (8)30Afghanistan
    (source)

    As you may notice, there have been two matches witnessing the most sixes in a T20 international match.

    Other Interesting Stats

    Here are some other interesting stats about most sixes by a player in Cricket –

    Most Sixes by a Player as a Captain in Cricket

    Eoin Morgan of England holds the record for hitting most sixes as a captain in all formats. He has hit a total of 222 sixes in 171 matches as captain.

    Here’s a list of Top 5 players who have hit most sixes as a captain in Cricket –

    S. NoPlayer NameCountryNo. of Sixes as CaptainNo. of Matches as Captain
    1Eoin MorganEngland222171
    2MS DhoniIndia211332
    3Ricky PontingAustralia171324
    4Brendon McCullumNew Zealand170121
    5AB de VilliersSouth Africa135124

    Most Sixes by a Wicketkeeper in Cricket

    Next on the list is the most sixes by a wicketkeeper in cricket.

    Brendon McCullum of New Zealand holds the record for hitting most sixes as a wicketkeeper in Cricket. He has hit 398 sixes in his career.

    Here’s a list of most sixes hit by a Wicketkeeper in their career in Cricket –

    S. NoPlayer NameCountryNo. of Sixes
    1Brendon McCullumNew Zealand398
    2MS DhoniIndia359
    3AB de VilliersSouth Africa328
    4Adam GilchristAustralia262
    5Jos ButlerEngland222
    (source)

    The above totals are combines sixes that the players have hit across all the three formats of the game. The list also includes the matches where a player was also selected purely as a batsman.

    Most Sixes by a Player in World Cup

    When it comes to the World Cup, it often brings out the best in a player! Let’s take a look at which players like to go big when playing in a world cup!

    Most Sixes by a Player in ODI World Cups

    S. NoPlayer NameCountryTotal SixesNo. of World Cups
    1Chris GayleWest Indies495
    2AB de VilliersSouth Africa373
    3Ricky PontingAustralia315
    4Brendon McCullumNew Zealand294
    5Herschelle GibbsSouth Africa283
    (source)

    India’s Sachin Tendulkar holds joint 6th rank with Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya for hitting 27 sixes. While Sachin has played 6 World Cups, Sanath Jayasuriya has participated in 5 World Cups.

    It is interesting to note that Chris Gayle also holds the record of hitting the most sixes (26) in a single edition of a World Cup in 2015 edition. England’s Eoin Morgan holds the second position when he hit 22 sixes in the 2019 edition of the ODI World Cup.

    Most Sixes by a Player in T20 World Cups

    Chris Gayle holds the record for hitting most sixes in T20 World Cups. He has hit a total of 60 sixes in 28 matches that he has played over 6 editions of T20 World Cups.

    S. NoPlayer NameCountryTotal SixesNo. of World Cups
    1Chris GayleWest Indies606
    2Yuvraj SinghIndia336
    3Shane WatsonAustralia316
    4AB de VilliersSouth Africa306
    5Mahela JayawardenaSri Lanka255
    (source)

    Most Sixes by a Batsman in IPL

    Chris Gayle holds the record for hitting 349 sixes – the most sixes by a batsman in IPL history.

    S. NoPlayer NameNo. of SixesTotal MatchesSixes/Match (Avg.)
    1Chris Gayle3491322.64
    2AB de Villiers2351691.39
    3MS Dhoni2162041.06
    4Rohit Sharma2132001.07
    5Virat Kohli2011921.05
    (source)

    It is surprise that Chris Gayle tops the list of most sixes hit in IPL! In fact, the rate at which he hits sixes in IPL is almost twice more than the nearest competitor of the top 5 players to have hit most sixes!

    Most Sixes in a Single Edition of IPL

    Chris Gayle also holds the record for hitting most sixes in a single edition of IPL. Chris Gayle hit 59 sixes in the 2012 edition of IPL.

    S. NoPlayer NameTeamTotal SixesIPL Edition
    1Chris GayleRCB592012
    2Andre RussellKKR522019
    3Chris GayleRCB512013
    4Chris GayleRCB442011
    5Chris GayleKXIP382014

    Chris Gayle holds the top 5 positions for most sixes in a single edition of an IPL. Andre Russell, who hit 52 sixes in 2019 edition of IPL, holds the second position. Virat Kolhi (38), AB de Villiers (37), and Rishab Pant (37) are the only other players to feature in the top 10 list. Chris Gayle also appears once again in the top 10 list.

    Top 5 India Batsman with Most Sixes in Cricket Career (Combined)

    Rohit Sharma tops the list of most sixes hit by Indian batsman in International Cricket. He has hit 426 sixes.

    S. NoPlayer NameNo. of Sixes
    1Rohit Sharma426
    2MS Dhoni359
    3Sachin Tendulkar264
    4Yuvraj Singh251
    5Sourav Ganguly247
    (source)

    Rohit Sharma is also the only active player amongst the top 5 Indian batsman to hit most sixes.

    Top 5 English Batsman with Most Sixes in Cricket Career (Combined)

    Eoin Morgan holds the record for hitting the most sixes by an English batsman in Cricket. He has hit 337 sixes in 355 matches.

    Here’s a complete list of top 5 english batsman to hit most sixes in Cricket –

    S. NoPlayer NameNo. of Sixes
    1Eoin Morgan337
    2Jos Butler222
    3Kevin Peterson190
    4Andrew Flintoff177
    5Ben Stokes169

    Top 5 Australian Batsman with Most Sixes in Cricket Career (Combined)

    Adam Gilchrist holds the record for most sixes by an Australian batsman in Cricket. He has hit a total of 262 sixes.

    S. NoPlayer NameNo. of Sixes
    1Adam Gilchrist262
    2Ricky Ponting246
    3Shane Watson245
    4David Warner230
    5Aaron Finch224

    David Warner and Aaron Finch are the only active players amongst the top 5 list mentioned above. Adam Gilchrist’s record may not hold for long going by the hectic cricketing schedule.

    Shrot Katewa

    Shrot is an avid cricket fan! He has played and endorsed the sport ever since he was in School. In fact, he played as a professional cricketer represented his state team in National Indoor Cricket Championship held in Pune, India. Shrot loves the game, loves talking to other people who play the game and share his learnings with other interested individuals. He is the founder of CricketMastery.com. This website is a culmination of his desire to help others understand this wonderful Game of Cricket!

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