When it comes to Indian Premier League (IPL), or any T20 competition for that matter, sixes form an important part. The big hits can be viewed as the soul of T20 matches and ones that induce the much-needed entertainment quotient in the game.
Traditionally speaking, there has been no dearth of big hitters in the richest cricket in the world. With the 2019 edition in touching distance, here are the top 5 batsmen to hit most sixes in IPL history.
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5Rohit Sharma
On the number 5 spot is Indian cricket’s ‘Hitman’ Rohit Sharma. The 31-year-old opener has been a powerhouse when it comes to IPL, having led Mumbai Indians from the front. Sharma has an impressive 184 sixes to his name from 173 matches (168 innings) that he has played in. The Mumbai-based batsman also has a healthy strike-rate of 131.02.
4Suresh Raina
Fourth on the list is IPL’s highest run-scorer Suresh Raina. The 32-year-old Chennai Super Kings southpaw has been an integral part of the Yellow army’s annual IPL title charge. Raina has scored 185 sixes in his 12-year-long association with the league. What is mind-boggling is the number of half centuries that he has scored – second-highest in the league so far.
In the upcoming edition, Raina would be looking forward to becoming the first batsman to cross the 5,000 run-mark. (He currently has 4,985 runs to his tally.)
3MS Dhoni
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Third on our list, it IPL and Indian cricket’s ultimate poster boy – MS Dhoni. MSD has 186 sixes to his name, drawing him with South Africa’s AB de Villiers. The talisman’s record is even more appreciable since it has come from the lower middle order, unlike his competitors. Dhoni also has a healthy average of 40.16. Along with his batting antiques, he has also guided CSK to three IPL trophies – joint highest in the league.
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2AB de Villiers
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s AB de Villiers comes in at the second spot with 186 sixes. But his achievements come in in fewer matches (141) in Dhoni’s comparison (175) giving him the all-elusive second spot.
The swashbuckling opener also boasts of the league-high strike-rate of 150.93 (for batsmen who have played over 100 matches). His incredible camaraderie with Virat Kohli was what made RCB one of the most formidable batting forces in the league.
1Chris Gayle
No surprises there! West Indies’ Chris Gayle, the ultimate T20 showman, is also the undisputed No.1 when it comes to the most number of sixes in IPL history. The 39-year-old has scored an eye-popping 292 sixes, 106 more than his immediate opponent. What is even more impressive is the fact that the achievement has come in only 112 matches, 31 less than ABV.
Gayle also holds the T20 record of the highest individual runs scored in an innings – 175* that he scored against Pune Warriors India. It took him just 66 balls to reach the landmark figure. In fact, the record of the most sixes in an innings, 17, was also set during this match.
