Most Sixes in Cricket: From Chris Gayle to Rohit Sharma and the T20 Six-Hitting Records
The records for most sixes in cricket — who has hit the most in T20Is, ODIs, and Tests, how the six-hitting game has evolved, and the greatest six-hitters in history.
Six-hitting in cricket has transformed from a high-risk tactical decision to a routine scoring shot. In Test cricket, sixes were historically rare — batters avoided the risk of being caught in the deep on a mistimed shot. T20 cricket changed the calculus: sixes became essential scoring weapons, and players developed specifically to clear the boundary repeatedly. Chris Gayle of the West Indies holds multiple international six-hitting records — the most sixes in T20Is (553 as of 2022), the most in World Cup cricket, and the most in IPL cricket.
The Major Six-Hitting Records
- Most sixes in T20Is: Chris Gayle (West Indies) — 553 T20I sixes. He also holds the record for most sixes in a single T20I innings (17 — scoring 175* for RCB vs Pune Warriors in IPL 2013).
- Most sixes in ODIs: Rohit Sharma (India) — 250+ ODI sixes, including three double-century innings.
- Most sixes in Tests: Adam Gilchrist (Australia) holds the record for most sixes in a Test innings (10 in his 149 at the 2007 World Cup Final, but Tests: Adam Gilchrist is not the Test record holder. In Tests, Wasim Akram hit many sixes; the record for most sixes in a Test career goes to Ben Stokes, Adam Gilchrist or Chris Cairns depending on the era).
- Biggest six distance: The biggest six ever measured in a professional match is debated; estimates for shots by Shahid Afridi and Chris Gayle suggest distances of 105-118 metres. Adam Gilchrist's 2007 World Cup Final sixes from Mitchell Johnson were estimated at 90+ metres.
- Most sixes in an over: Several batters have hit 6 sixes in an over (the first being Garfield Sobers in 1968).
Frequently asked questions
Who has hit the most sixes in T20 cricket?
Chris Gayle of the West Indies has hit the most sixes in T20 International cricket — 553 T20I sixes by his retirement, far ahead of any other player. In IPL cricket, he scored 357 sixes — also a record. Gayle holds the T20 record for most sixes in a single innings: 17, scored during his 175* from 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors India in the 2013 IPL. This innings also set the record for the highest individual T20 score at the time.
Has anyone hit six sixes in an over in international cricket?
Yes — Yuvraj Singh hit six consecutive sixes off Stuart Broad in a single over at the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, playing for India against England at Durban on 19 September 2007. It was the first time six sixes in a T20 International over were scored. Broad was bowling his first international over; Yuvraj was in an altercation with Andrew Flintoff and came to the wicket in an aggressive frame of mind. He also previously hit six sixes in the warm-up match of the same tournament. Herschelle Gibbs had hit six sixes off Daan van Bunge of the Netherlands in an ODI at the 2007 World Cup.
What is the longest six ever hit in cricket?
The longest sixes ever hit in professional cricket are estimated (official distance measurement has not historically been standard). Common candidates include: Chris Gayle's sixes in the IPL, measured by ball-tracking at 110+ metres; Shahid Afridi's massive hits at various grounds estimated at 110-115 metres; and Adam Gilchrist's sixes off Mitchell Johnson in the 2007 World Cup Final, estimated at 95-100 metres. Some tournament broadcasts now include distance measurements for maximum sixes, with anything over 100 metres considered exceptional. The all-time longest reliably measured six is generally cited at approximately 120 metres.