The most interesting thing in cricket is to see a sixer all over the boundary line. The spectators’ loves it as well as the batsman loves it. The score board runs quicker and the two guys who really hate that show should be the bowler and the umpire in a lighter sense. To hit a six is not even a piece of cake for the batsman. The bowlers keep on challenging the batsmen with new and varied deliveries. The ball moves around, turns, swings and behaves like it wants too. It is the batsman who still has to set himself in for the delivery, find the right area, control, timing and elevation to sail the ball into the stands for a sixer.
List of Top 10 Batsmen with most sixes in ODI:
It is indeed a work of art to hit a six and the cricketers we will be discussing off are the best at doing that. Here is the list of top 10 batsmen with most sixes in ODI. To these batsmen, it’s a regulation act and they seem to be a real threat for any bowling attack.
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Let’s go across and find, who are the top batsmen with most sixes in ODI innings?
10. Adam Gilchrist, Australia: 149
Adam Gilchrist was Australian wicket-keeper and opening hard hitter batsman. He was supposedly one-half of one of the most destructive and dominating opening pair in cricket, the Gilchrist-Hayden duo. Gilchrist loved to thrash the bowlers and hitting fours and sixes. It was like knockdowns for him. He played as an integral part in the Golden era of Australian cricket and contributed a lot in his teams’ success. He made himself an asset for the Australian team by being one of the best wicket-keepers in cricket along with his batting exploits.
Gilly appeared in 287 ODIs for Australia during his 18 long years and scored a total 149 sixes over the fence for maximums. We have started this list with this hard hitting batsman and surely he is the one among the top 10 batsmen with most sixes in ODI.
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9. Chris Cairns, New Zealand: 153
Chris Cairns, the New Zealander marked his name as one of the batsmen with most number of sixes in ODI. With 153 blows, he is at the No 9 spot in our list of top 10 batsmen with most sixes in ODI. He was able to hit those sixers in his 215 ODI matches. He was a remarkable all-rounder for New Zealand team. But, Chris has been in news off late for all wrong reasons after he was subjected to allegations from ICC for involvement in match-fixing. Since then, it has been a real disgrace for this New Zealander.
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8. Ricky Ponting, Australia: 162
Ricky Ponting is the former and one of the most successful Australian captains. He is a kind of batsman who currently holds the second position in term of accumulating runs in ODI after Sachin Tendulkar. Ricky Ponting led his team with aggressive batting style and with splendid performance at base. At the Golden period, he and his team virtually ruled the cricket world when other teams could just dream of beating Australia.
With his forceful batting, Ponting smashed 162 sixes in 375 ODIs from a substantial part of the 13,704 runs that he scored in ODI cricket. He grabs the 8th spot in our list of top 10 batsmen with most sixes in ODI.
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7. Brendon McCullum, New Zealand: 166
Brendin McCullum, another New Zealander has emerged as a batting legend for New Zealand team. He once played triple roles of a batsman, wicket-keeper and skipper Baz was good at everything that he did. As a wicket-keeper, McCullum has one of the fastest pair of hands and with bat, he is one of the quickest. He can hit the ball with such force that the ball sometimes travels faster after the hit than what the bowler had initially bowled.
In his 234 ODI match-career, he scored 166 sixes and the counter is still ticking for more. He is the 7th batsman with most sixes in ODI in our list.
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6. MS Dhoni, India: 177
At No 6 is the six creator of the recent era of cricket, Indian skipper MS Dhoni. He is a kind of batsman who can hammer the best ball from a best bowler. He can hit a Yorker for a six with his signature helicopter shot. MS Dhoni has to have a higher place in the list of top batsmen with most sixes in ODI. Though he is currently placing in the second half of the list with 177 sixes registered to his name in 250 ODI matches that he has played so far. Anyone can expect him at the top of the list by the time he calls it a day from ODI cricket, for the rate and ease with which he has been hitting the monster blows off late.
Dhoni initially made himself a swashbuckling and ruthless hitter of the ball, eventually turned himself a self-controlled yet volcanic batsman who has complete faith and belief in himself and quite capable to launch a massive submissive attack on his opponents when other batsmen loose nerve.
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5. Sourav Ganguly, India: 190
It is former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly who glorifies our No 5 position in the list of top 10 batsmen with most sixes in ODI. Sourav Ganguly loved hitting the ball over the boundary as much as he loved his batting. He was also regarded as the GOD of off-side by many cricket associates. Dada was a graceful batsman who relied more on his timing than power, he would dance down the wicket and loft bowlers for six over long on and long off.
There is nothing so charming than to see him down the stump and hit a massive sixer. Sourav Ganguly has hit a total 190 sixes in his 15 years ODI career for India.
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4. Sachin Tendulkar, India: 195
If any cricketer has played 463 ODI matches for his team and stayed at the top for 24 long years, he can’t miss out any mainstream batting record. So, here is Sachin Tendulkar, at 4th place in top batsmen with most sixes in ODI list. The 5.5′ Sachin was not among the strongest batsmen rather he was a text book batsman throughout his career and taught the world that a perfect batsman doesn’t need the strongest of frames and rashest of shots to score runs in cricket.
Tendulkar with his 18,426 ODI runs has hit 195 sixes and almost all of them are the finest, nicely timed and eye soothing sight.
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3. Chris Gayle, West Indies: 211
Chris Gayle is the name of a thunderstorm in cricket now. He is regarded as the ‘Gayle Storm’ by his fans for his hard hitting and ruthless batting style. Although the phenomenon was developed from his T20 performances, one can simply not ignore his contribution for West Indies team. The destructive opening batsman has seen the best and the worst parts of his career and by now is mature enough not to bother by anything.
When he has his weapon in his hand, it knows only one language, the language of sixes. With 211 sixes so far, Chris Gayle is at the No 3 spot in our list of top 10 batsmen with most sixes in ODI.
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2. Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka: 270
Sanath Jayasuriya is the pioneer for the evolution and destructive batting style. Opening batting was redefined by this Sri Lankan opener. Jayasuriya just loved to rip apart the opponent bowlers when they were at their best. Missed line balls or even a ball with slightest width would receive the harshest treatment by this furious batsman. He would hit sixes at will and all over the ground.
There was no difference in the way he treated the spinners and pacers. He was always there to greet them in a similar fashion. He has hit as many as 270 sixes throughout his ODI career and is the second best in the list of top 10 batsmen with most sixes in ODI.
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1. Shahid Afridi, Pakistan: 342
Shahid Afridi, popularly known as “Boom Boom Afridi” is the table topper in this list of top batsmen with most sixes in ODI innings. This Pakistani all-rounder in his early years of international career was a better off batsman than a bowler. For the most part of his 18 years ODI career with 389 matches, he has appeared as a biggest threat for the opponent bowlers. Afridi has the capability to swing the tide of the match on his own and in very little time. Hitting sixes is lot like a regulation for him. Afridi never takes time to get his eye in and is always right at the job.
The former record holder of fastest ODI hundred in just 37 balls, is the man we are on at top of our list. With 342 and still counting, he is the top batsman with most sixes in ODI cricket. No doubt, he is way beyond the reach of other 9 in this list of top 10 batsmen with most sixes in ODI.
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