Sixes in Cricket Explained
How a six is scored in cricket, what makes an ideal six-hitting batter, and how modern cricket has transformed the six from a rare shot to a routine scoring mechanism.
What Is a Six?
A six (maximum) is scored when a batter hits the ball over the boundary rope without it bouncing — the ball must clear the rope in the air, not roll or bounce through it. Six runs are immediately added to the batter's score and the team total. The six is the highest single scoring unit available from a batting stroke.
Six vs Boundary Four
A boundary four requires the ball to reach or cross the boundary rope (either hit there or rolling through). A six requires the ball to cross the boundary in the air without bouncing. The rope defines the line — a ball that lands on the rope counts as four, not six. Both are immediately awarded without running.
Modern Six-Hitting
T20 cricket has transformed six-hitting from an occasional big-shot into a strategic scoring mechanism. The modern T20 game routinely sees batters scoring 20+ sixes per match across both innings. Power-hitters like Rohit Sharma, David Warner, Chris Gayle, and Glenn Maxwell have built entire careers around consistent six-hitting across all formats.
Records
- Most sixes in international cricket (all formats combined): Rohit Sharma, with over 600 international sixes across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.
- Most sixes in a single T20I innings: Hazratullah Zazai (Afghanistan) hit 16 sixes in a single T20I innings against Ireland in 2019.
- Most sixes in a Test innings: Wasim Akram hit 12 sixes in a single Test innings, a record for five-day cricket.
- Carlos Brathwaite's four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes in the 2016 T20 World Cup final is the most celebrated sequence of sixes in cricket history.
Frequently asked questions
Does a six count if the ball bounces before crossing the boundary?
No — if the ball bounces before or on the boundary rope, it scores four (not six). The ball must carry the rope in the air without touching the ground inside the boundary.
Can a fielder catch the ball after it has crossed the boundary for a six?
No — once any part of the ball is over or touching the boundary rope (without a fielder grounding themselves outside the boundary), the ball is dead. A fielder cannot catch it for a dismissal after it has crossed or touched the boundary.
What is a maximum in cricket?
A maximum is another term for a six — the maximum scoring unit available from a single delivery. The term is common in commentary, particularly in West Indian and South Asian cricket coverage.