Table of Contents
Power hitters now have a role to play in all forms of the game. Fast scoring is important in tests, ODIs and T20is, but who has hit the most sixes in international cricket?
Who has scored the most sixes in cricket? Read on for the full list and take a look at our interactive charts which underline the answers at a glance. It’s a list that’s constantly updated and will change automatically whenever any of the batters mentioned hits another maximum.
The Most Sixes in International Cricket – Chart Updated as of April, 2024
Chris Gayle – 539 sixes
Christoper Henry Gayle, Chris Gayle, Universe Boss, Master Blaster. Whatever you want to call him, he’s been one of the most exciting cricketers to watch over the last twenty years. The big Jamaican deals mainly in boundaries and it will surprise no-one to learn that he’s at the top of the list for most international sixes.
In terms of totals, the Jamaican has hit an astonishing 539 maximums in the three forms of international cricket.
Shahid Afridi – 476 sixes
Boom Boom has done it again as he’s made it onto our second list. Shahid Afridi made the fastest ever ODI hundred on his debut at the age of just 16 and the cricketing world knew that it had found an exceptional talent.
Afridi still plays on the T20 circuit but he’s officially retired from international cricket so I don’t expect him to add to his tally of 476 sixes in Pakistan colours.
Rohit Sharma – 436 sixes
India’s Rohit Sharma is one man who does have time to add to his record and to maybe catch up with the players above him. He’s the only player to have made two double centuries in ODI cricket and his highest score of 264 in this format is scarcely believable. Sharma also produced the most number of centuries in T20i Cricket, and he has the 4th most centuries in ODI.
In total Rohit has hit 436 international sixes and, at the age of 34, he has time to add to that tally.
Brendon McCullum – 398 sixes
New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum has recently retired from the game but he remains fully involved as a coach in the IPL. He was a big hit for franchise teams and made a big hundred in the first ever Indian Premier League match in 2008.
When McCullum left the international scene in 2016, he had hit 398 sixes for the Kiwis.
MS Dhoni – 359 sixes
Indian wicket keeper batsman MS Dhoni remains in the IPL for now but it appears that his international playing days are over. That’s a great shame because he was always entertaining and was known for his devastating hitting.
One of his international sixes even won a World Cup and as of July 2021 he currently sits on 359 international maximums.
Most Sixes in Test Cricket
We’re seeing more sixes in test cricket these days due, partly, to bigger bats and smaller boundaries. Also, there has been a change in approach to the long format so the players with most sixes in test cricket tend to be recent players.
At the very top of the list is Brendon McCullum who hit 107 maximums in his test career.
Most Sixes in ODIs
Another player from our most recent list leads the way in terms of most sixes hit in One Day Internationals.
Shahid Afridi is at the top of the table with 351 but Chris Gayle, who has 331 maximums at the time of writing, could yet catch him up.
Most Sixes in T20is
T20 is the newest of the international formats and the one most likely to produce big six hitting. This list is also the most fluid and the top of the table could change on a more regular basis.
The man at the head of the list at the time of writing in July 2021 is Martin Guptill who has 147 maximums, just ahead of Rohit Sharma on 133.
Final Thoughts
Six hitting used to be relatively rare, even in the early days of One Day International cricket. That’s why the majority of players on this list are from the recent past.
In modern day cricket, hitting a six helps to build momentum while putting the pressure on the bowling team. That’s why we are seeing so many more maximums being hit in test cricket. This is how it stands currently, but this is a fast moving sport and we can expect to see some new faces climbing the list in the very near future.
