Hitting sixes in cricket needs heaps of physical strength and talent because it’s not easy to whack the ball out of the park, especially in stadiums with large boundaries. But over the years, some players have become famous for effortlessly hitting sixes.
One of those players is Chris Gayle, who’s been a nightmare for even the top bowlers. Apart from Gayle, there are several other batsmen too who have made hitting sixes look easy. Check out a list of the top 10 batsmen who have hit the most sixes in international cricket across all formats.
10 Batman Who Hit Most Sixes in International Cricket
| Sr no | Batsman | Country | Matches | Innings | Runs | Fours | Sixes |
| 1 | Rohit Sharma | India | 471 | 497 | 18717 | 1792 | 594 |
| 2 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | 483 | 551 | 19593 | 2332 | 553 |
| 3 | Shahid Afridi | Pakistan | 524 | 508 | 11196 | 1053 | 476 |
| 4 | Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | 432 | 474 | 14676 | 1552 | 398 |
| 5 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | 367 | 402 | 13463 | 1385 | 383 |
| 6 | MS Dhoni | India | 538 | 526 | 17266 | 1486 | 359 |
| 7 | Sanath Jayasuriya | Sri Lanka | 586 | 651 | 21032 | 2486 | 352 |
| 8 | Eoin Morgan | England | 379 | 361 | 10859 | 917 | 346 |
| 9 | Ab de Villiers | South Africa | 420 | 484 | 20014 | 2004 | 328 |
| 10 | Jos Buttler | England | 352 | 359 | 10856 | 1010 | 326 |
1.Rohit Sharma
Current captain of the Indian Cricket Team, Rohit Sharma is right at the top of the list of batsmen with most sixes in international cricket. Since making his international debut in 2007, the batsman has hit 594 sixes across formats from 471 matches.
Most of these sixes have come in ODIs, a format in which Sharma holds many records. In 262 ODIs, he has hit 232 sixes, while in 151 T20Is, Rohit has whacked 190 sixes. Sharma has overall played 471 international matches, from which he has scored 18717 runs.
2. Chris Gayle
One of the most formidable hitters in cricket history, Chris Gayle, made his international debut back in 1999. With a towering presence at the crease, Gayle has hit 553 sixes across formats in his illustrious career spanning 483 matches.
Renowned for his exploits in the shortest format, Gayle has blasted 124 sixes in just 79 T20Is. In the 50-over format, the batsman has dispatched 331 deliveries over the boundary ropes in 301 matches. In the longest format, Gayle has notched up 98 sixes in 103 appearances. Overall, Gayle has scored 19,593 across formats in his international career.
3. Shahid Afridi
Known as “boom boom Afridi” for his explosive batting style, Shahid Afridi emerged as one of the best all-rounders from Pakistan during his remarkable career spanning from 1996 to 2018. In his 524 international matches, Afridi amassed 14,676 runs and hit an impressive 476 sixes.
In the shortest format, he mashed 73 sixes in 99 matches, adding to his reputation as a crowd favourite. In the longer format, Afridi hammered 351 sixes in 398 ODIs, and 52 sixes in 27 Tests. After announcing his retirement from ODIs in 2015, Afridi announced retirement from all international cricket in 2017.
4. Brendon McCullum
During his career spanning from 2002 to 2016, former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum played 432 matches across formats, from which he amassed 14,676 runs. Known for his aggressive batting style, McCullum delighted fans with his penchant for hitting boundaries – he hit a total of 398 sixes.
The majority of these sixes came in ODIs, where McCullum dispatched the ball over the ropes 200 times in 260 matches. Despite his retirement from all forms of cricket at the age of 37 in 2016, McCullum is still one of the first to cross the mind when it comes to fearless hitting in cricket.
5. Martin Guptill
Martin Guptill, who played international cricket from 2009 to 2022, representing New Zealand in a total of 367 matches across formats, scored 13,463 runs and hit 1,385 boundaries and 383 mighty sixes.
Particularly lethal in limited-overs cricket, Guptill lofted the ball out of the park on 187 occasions in ODIs and 173 times in T20Is. He last played an international game in 2022, after releasing himself from his national contract.
6. MS Dhoni
Three-time ICC winning trophy captain MS Dhoni, who made the helicopter shot famous, hit a total of 359 sixes during his illustrious career spanning from 2004 to 2019. In a total of 538 matches, Dhoni scored 17266 runs, including 16 centuries and 108 half-centuries.
Most of Dhoni’s sixes came in the ODI format – 229 sixes in 350 matches. With remarkable timing and power, he effortlessly sent the ball soaring into the stands throughout his career. Dhoni announced retirement from international cricket in 2020, but continues to play and captain in the Indian Premier League for the Chennai Super Kings.
7. Sanath Jayasuriya
In a career spanning from 1989 to 2011, Sanath Jayasuriya accumulated 21,032 runs from 586 matches, including 2,486 fours and 352 sixes.
Particularly dominant in ODIs, he cleared the ropes 270 times in 445 matches. Jayasuriya hung up his boots from Test cricket in December 2007 and from limited-overs cricket in June 2011.
8. Eoin Morgan
Eoin Morgan, who last played an international game in 2022 after making his debut in 2006, represented England in 379 matches across formats, accumulating a total of 10,859 runs. These runs were laced with 917 boundaries and 346 sixes.
Particularly impressive in limited-overs cricket, Morgan sent the ball out of the park on 220 occasions in ODIs and 120 times in T20Is. He is England’s all-time highest run-scorer in the 50-over format, amassing 6,957 runs. In 2019, Morgan etched his name in history books by becoming the first England captain to lift the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup.
9. Ab de Villiers
AB de Villiers, fondly known as Mr. 360 for his innovative batting, played international cricket from 2004 to 2018. Across his 420 matches, de Villiers amassed 20,014 runs, which were laced with 2,004 fours and 328 sixes.
Most of the sixes came in ODIs, a format in which he lofted the ball over the boundary ropes on 204 occasions. The former South Africa captain announced retirement from international cricket in 2018.
10. Jos Buttler
Since making his debut in 2011, England’s Jos Buttler, one of the most prolific white-ball batsmen, has amassed 10856 runs across formats, including 1010 fours and 326 sixes.
Buttler has hit 170 of those sixes in ODIs, and 123 sixes in T20Is. The wicketkeeper batsman is England’s second-highest run-scorer in ODIs among currently active players – he has scored 5022 runs in the format at an average of 39.54.
