Who holds the record for the most sixes in international cricket?

Who holds the record for the most sixes in international cricket?

Kenneth Mwenda
May 14, 2024 at 10:10 AM

The top ten most sixes in international cricket feature some of the most explosive batters. These individuals have captivated fans with their capability of hitting the ball over the boundary. India's Rohit Sharma has the most sixes in international cricket, with 597 as of May 2024.

Eoin Morgan, AB de Villiers, and Jos Buttler during their respective matches
From left: Eoin Morgan, AB de Villiers, and Jos Buttler during their respective matches. Photo: Alex Davidson, Bradley Kanaris, Ashley Allen (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Table of Сontents:

Hitting a six is one of the most challenging things in cricket. We reveal a list of players with the most sixes in international cricket, gathered from multiple credible sources like ESPN.

Top 10 players with the most sixes in international cricket

Whenever the ball crosses the boundary without touching or landing on the ground, it is called a six. It is one of the most exciting things in cricket. A well-executed sixer brings the crowd to life. So, which player has hit the most sixes in international cricket?

Player

Nationality

Sixes

Rohit Sharma

India

597

Chris Gayle

West Indies

553

Shahid Afridi

Pakistan

476

Brendon McCullum

New Zealand

398

Martin Guptill

New Zealand

383

MS Dhoni

India

359

Sanath Jayasuriya

Sri Lanka

352

Eoin Morgan

England

346

AB de Villiers

South Africa

328

Jos Buttler

England

326

10. Jos Buttler | 326

England captain Jos Buttler in Kolkata, India
England captain Jos Buttler during a nets session at Eden Gardens on November 10, 2023, in Kolkata, India. Photo: Gareth Copley
Source: Getty Images
  • Place of Birth: Taunton, Somerset, England
  • Date of Birth: 8 September 1990
  • Debut: 2011
  • Height: 1.8 m

Buttler MBE is a captain who represented England in Test matches till 2022. He is England's second most-capped player in T20I after Eoin Morgan. Buttler was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup and the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup.

9. AB de Villiers | 328

AB de Villiers in Kolkata, India
AB de Villiers during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023 between India and South Africa at Eden Gardens on November 05, 2023, in Kolkata, India. Photo: Alex Davidson
Source: Getty Images
  • Place of Birth: Bela-Bela, South Africa
  • Date of Birth: 17 February 1984
  • Debut: 2004
  • Height: 1.78 m

Benjamin de Villiers is a former cricketer from South Africa who later became a commentator after retiring, according to News18. De Villiers won the ICC ODI Player of the Year thrice and ranks among the greatest batters of his time. He holds records for the fastest ODI fifty (16 balls), fastest ODI century (31 balls), and fastest ODI 150 (62 balls).

8. Eoin Morgan | 346

Eoin Morgan at BRSABVE Cricket Stadium
Eoin Morgan during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023 between India and England at BRSABVE Cricket Stadium on October 29, 2023, in Lucknow, India. Photo: Gareth Copley
Source: Getty Images
  • Place of Birth: Dublin, Ireland
  • Date of Birth: 10 September 1986
  • Debut: 2006
  • Height: 1.75 m

Morgan is an Irish and English former cricketer who is now a commentator. He captained England in limited overs from 2015 until his retirement in June 2022. Morgan has the most sixes in international cricket as captain. He clinched the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2019 World Cup with his nation.

7. Sanath Jayasuriya | 352

Sanath Jayasuriya on June 8, 2016 in London, United Kingdom.
Sanath Jayasuriya at Lord's Cricket Ground on June 8, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. Photo: Gareth Copley
Source: Getty Images
  • Place of Birth: Matara, Ceylon
  • Date of Birth: 30 June 1969
  • Debut: 1989
  • Height: 1.70 m

Jayasuriya is a former Sri Lankan captain who ranks among the best. The player contributed significantly to his team's victory in the 1996 Cricket World Cup. As their leader, he also brought joint success to Sri Lanka and India in the 2002 Champions Trophy.

In 2010, Al Jazeera reported that Jayasuriya joined politics and became a Member of Parliament in 2010.

6. MS Dhoni | 359

MS Dhoni at Dubai International Stadium
MS Dhoni at Dubai International Stadium on October 24, 2021, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Photo: Michael Steele
Source: Getty Images
  • Place of Birth: Ranchi, Bihar (now Jharkhand), India
  • Date of Birth: 7 July 1981
  • Debut: 2004
  • Height: 1.75 m

The Indian is considered one of the best wicketkeeper-batsmen and captains in the game. He was a member of the Indian cricket team and served as captain for the (ODI) team from 2007 to 2017 and the Test side between 2008 and 2014.

Dhoni holds the world record for leading in most International matches and is the only successful captain in India to date. He led India to win the 2011 ICC World Cup, 2007 ICC World Twenty20, and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.

5. Martin Guptill | 383

Martin Guptill in Christchurch, New Zealand
Martin Guptill during a New Zealand Black Caps training session at Hagley Oval on February 21, 2021, in Christchurch, New Zealand. Photo: Kai Schwoerer
Source: Getty Images
  • Place of Birth: Auckland, New Zealand
  • Date of Birth: 30 September 1986
  • Debut: 2009
  • Height: 1.88 m

Guptill is among the players with the most sixes in international cricket ODIs. He was the first New Zealander and fifth overall to achieve a double century in a One-Day international. His individual cricket World Cup score is the highest ever, while his 237 not out has been classified as the second-best in history for all one-day internationals.

He was also part of the New Zealand squad that finished as runners-up at the 2015 World Cup. He scored over 600 T20 International runs at Eden Park, making him the first player to achieve over 500 and 600 in a single venue.

4. Brendon McCullum | 398

Brendon McCullum at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium
England coach Brendon McCullum during a nets session at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on March 06, 2024, in Dharamsala, India. Photo: Gareth Copley
Source: Getty Images
  • Place of Birth: Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
  • Date of Birth: 27 September 1981
  • Debut: 2002
  • Height: 1.71 m

Brendon is a former player and is currently the head coach of the England cricket team in Test matches. McCullum is renowned as one of New Zealand's most successful batters and captains, leading the team to the 2015 World Cup finals and the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy. He retired from all forms of cricket in August 2019.

3. Shahid Afridi | 476

Shahid Afridi in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Shahid Afridi poses with the Champions Trophy at the ICC Cricket Academy on February 21, 2017, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Photo: Neville Hopwood
Source: Getty Images
  • Place of Birth: Tirah, Pakistan
  • Date of Birth: 1 March 1977
  • Debut: 1996
  • Height: 1.8 m

Shahid is third on the list of players with the most sixes in international cricket in all formats. He is a former Pakistani player who served as the Pakistan national cricket team captain.

In 1996, Afridi played his first ODI against Kenya. In his second ODI match against Sri Lanka, he set the record for the fastest century in ODI, achieving it in 37 deliveries. As reported by Crictracker, Afridi won the player of the match in the final of the 2009 T20 World Cup after scoring an unbeaten 54, helping Pakistan win the title.

2. Chris Gayle | 553

Chris Gayle during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco
Chris Gayle walks on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 28, 2023, in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. Photo: Eric Alonso
Source: Getty Images
  • Place of Birth: Kingston, Jamaica
  • Date of Birth: 21 September 1979
  • Debut: 1999
  • Height: 1.88 m

Known as "The Universe Boss," Gayle is considered the greatest batsman in Twenty20 history. He was fundamental to the West Indies' victories at the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy, the 2012 ICC World Twenty20, and the 2016 ICC World Twenty20.

Gayle is the most capped player for the West Indies in international matches and is the only player to achieve a triplet of centuries across all formats. (a triple hundred in Tests, a double hundred in ODIs, and a hundred in T20Is).

1. Rohit Sharma | 597

Rohit Sharma in Ahmedabad, India
India captain Rohit Sharma speaks to the media at Narendra Modi Stadium on November 18, 2023, in Ahmedabad, India. Photo: Gareth Copley
Source: Getty Images
  • Place of Birth: Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
  • Date of Birth: 30 April 1987
  • Debut: 2007
  • Height: 1.74 m

Rohit is an Indian player who is currently the national team captain for all forms of cricket in India. He is one of the best batters and holds the records for the most sixes in all international cricket and the most double centuries scored by an individual player in ODIs (three times).

The Indian also has the most hundreds made at world cups (seven times) and the joint-most hundreds in Twenty20 Internationals. He is also the all-time player with the most sixes in international cricket.

Trivia

Sixes are crucial for winning games in modern cricket. The need for big-hitting batters has become more important as this game format continues to grow after shifting from traditional five-day matches to limited overs.

Who has the most sixes in cricket history?

As of May 2024, Rohit Sharma of India has hit the most sixes in international matches across all formats, with 597 sixes in 472 games (323 in ODIs, 190 in T20Is, and 84 in Tests).

Who has the most sixes in international cricket after age 30?

Rohit Sharma has hit 400 sixes, the most by any player after turning 30 (as of May 2024).

Who has the most sixes in a calendar year in ODI?

Rohit Sharma hit the most sixes in a calendar year in ODI cricket (60) in 2023, breaking AB de Villiers's previous record of 58 in 2015.

Final word

Hitting a six is an incredible achievement every cricketer dreams of to help their team and build a reputation. Rohit Sharma remains the undisputed king with the most sixes in international cricket.

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Authors
Kenneth Mwenda photo
Kenneth Mwenda
Kenneth Mwenda is a business and sports writer with over five years of experience. At Sportsbrief, he contributes to writing biographies and listicles.
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