Batsmen with Most Sixes in One Day International Cricket

The table topper, right at the top of the charts is Pakistan all-rounder the BOOM BOOM man Shahid Afridi. Afridi in the early years of his career was a better off batsman than a bowler. And for the most part of his 18 years old career elapsing into 384 ODI games bowlers have thought of him as their biggest threat in the Pakistan batting line up. Though the likes of Younis Khan, Mohammad Younis are their most consistent batsmen Afridi had the capability to swing the tide of the match on his own and in very little time. He never took time to get his eye in and was right at the job, hitting sixes was a regulation for him and no doubt he is way beyond the reach of the other 9 people in the league with him as he has amassed 333 sixes in his career so far and looks good for many more.

Sanath Jayasuriya is the man to be credited for the evolution and destructive style of batting. Opening batting was redefined by the Sri Lankan opener and he just loved to rip apart the bowler when they were at their best. Slightest of width or missed line would receive the harshest treatment. Jayasuriya would hit sixes at will and all over the ground, making no difference in the way he treated the pacers and spinner, greeted them in similar fashion. He has hit as many as 270 sixes in his international ODI career and is the second best in this feature.

Christopher Henry Gayle is the name of a storm in cricket now, fans like to call him and his hard hitting, ruthless batting style as the ‘Gayle Storm’ though the phenomenon was developed from his performances in T20 cricket one can simply not ignore his effect and contribution for West Indies. The destructive opener has seen the best and the worst phases in his career and by now is mature enough to not bother by anything and when he has his weapon in hand knows only one language i.e. of sixes. Gayle has hit 209 sixes for West Indies so far in ODI cricket.

If someone has played 463 One Day International games for his national team and stayed at the top of the game for 24 years he cannot miss out on any batting mainstream record. So here is the man with 4th highest sixes ever in ODI cricket the little man from India Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin just 5.5’ tall and not among the strongest was a text book batsman throughout his career and taught the world that you don’t need the strongest of frames and rashest of shots to score runs in cricket. Tendulkar in the 18426 runs that he has scored in ODI cricket has hit 195 sixes in it.

After Sachin Tendulkar it is former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly in the list of batsmen with most sixes in ODI cricket. Ganguly loved hitting the ball into the stands as much as he loved batting. He was also termed the GOD of off-side by many who have been associated with cricket. Dada was a graceful batsman and relied more on his timing than power, he would dance down the track and loft bowlers for six over long on and long off and we can bet you would see a more beautiful stroke. The south paw has hit 190 sixes in his 15 years ODI career for India.

At number six is the six creator of the era, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The man who can hammer the best ball a bowler can ball a Yorker for a six with his signature Helicopter shot has to have a place of high in the sixes list. Though he is in the second half of it at present with 177 sixes registered to his name in 250 ODIs that he has played. Expect him to be somewhere at the top by the time he calls it a day from international cricket, for the rate and ease with which he has been hitting the monster blows off late. Dhoni who was initially a swashbuckling, ruthless hitter translated himself into a self-controlled yet volcanic batsman who has complete faith and belief in himself and launches a supreme submissive attack on his opponents when others loose nerves.

Ricky Ponting the former and one of the most celebrated Australian captain and batsman could be termed second to only Sachin Tendulkar when it came to accumulating runs. Ponting led the Australian team with aggression and with performance as base. He and his team virtually ruled cricket when other teams could at times just dream of beating Australia. Ponting also batted with similar force, the 162 sixes that he has hit in the 375 matches form a substantial part of the 13704 runs that he has made in ODI cricket.

Brendon McCullum has by now made himself a batting legend for New Zealand, once played triple roles of a batsman, wicket-keeper and skipper Baz was good at everything that he did. McCullum has one of the fastest pair of hands and move around so quickly with his bat in hand that the ball sometimes travels faster after the hit than what the bowler had initially bowled. He has scored 158 sixes in his ODI career of 232 matches so far and the counter is still ticking for more.

Chris Cairns is yet another New Zealander in this list of the batsmen with most sixes in ODI cricket. Cairns is at the 9th spot with 153 sixes recorded under his name and he has hit those in 215 One Day International matches. The former New Zealand all-rounder has been in news off late for all wrong reasons after he was subject to allegations from the ICC for involvement in match-fixing while playing for New Zealand and since then has been looked to at with disgrace.

Adam Gilchrist the Australian wicket-keeper and opening batsman was one half of one of the most dominating and destructive opening pair in cricket the Hayden-Gilchrist duo. Gilly loved to thrash the bowlers and hitting fours and sixes was like knockdowns for him. An integral part of the Golden Era of Australian cricket he also played a key role in his teams’ success. Being the best in country and among the top in the world wicket keeper along with his batting exploits made Gilchrist an asset for the team. He has featured in 287 ODI games for Australia during his 18 years international cricket career and dismantled 149 deliveries over the fence for maximums.