Rohit Sharma: Scaling the Six-Hitting Summit in ODIs

News Desk

Islamabad: Rohit Sharma has become the leading six-hitter in ODI cricket, smashing 352 sixes to surpass Shahid Afridi’s long-standing record of 351. Only Chris Gayle (331) has crossed the 300-mark besides the Indian skipper.

Across formats, Rohit has now clubbed 645 international sixes — far ahead of Gayle’s 553. He continues to hold the T20I six-hitting record with 205 maximums, a mark he set before retiring from the format after guiding India to the T20 World Cup title last year. His 88 Test sixes are the third-most for India, trailing only Rishabh Pant (94) and Virender Sehwag (91).

As ODI captain, Rohit’s 126 sixes place him joint second on the all-time list, tied with MS Dhoni and behind only Eoin Morgan’s 147. Ricky Ponting (123) and AB de Villiers (118) complete the top five.

Rohit also dominates specific match-ups, with 93 sixes against Australia — the most by any batter against a single opponent. Gayle follows with 85 against England. Afridi and Rohit are the only two players with 50-plus sixes against multiple teams in ODIs.

His 67 sixes in 2023 are the most in a calendar year, eclipsing AB de Villiers’ 58 in 2015 and Gayle’s 56 in 2019 — all occurring in World Cup seasons.

Rohit’s six-hitting has flourished at home as well, with 182 sixes in India — the highest in any country. Gayle (147), Martin Guptill (132), Brendon McCullum (126), Dhoni (123), and Morgan (116) are the only others to hit 100-plus sixes in a single nation.

His stunning 16 sixes during his first double-century in Bengaluru in 2013 remain a joint ODI record for an innings, just one behind Morgan’s 17 in the 2019 World Cup. In that 2013 series against Australia, Rohit hammered 23 sixes — the second-most in any bilateral ODI series after Gayle’s 39 against England in 2019.

At World Cups, Rohit sits comfortably on top with 54 sixes overall. His 31 sixes during India’s 2023 campaign are the most in a single edition, bettering Gayle’s 26 from 2015.

The Method Behind the Mayhem

Rohit’s six-hitting dominance spans both pace and spin. He has struck 232 sixes against fast bowlers and 120 against spinners — leading both categories. Gayle is a distant second with 213 (pace) and 110 (spin).

His aggression in the powerplay is unmatched: Rohit’s 130 sixes in the first 10 overs are second only to Gayle’s 153. In overs 11–40, he tops the charts with 170 sixes, ahead of Gayle’s 153. Dhoni rules the death overs with 139 sixes, followed by Jos Buttler’s 102.

Since 2023, Rohit has blasted an extraordinary 64 sixes in the first 10 overs — miles ahead of Travis Head’s 26, the next best in this period.

The pull and hook remain his signature weapons. Rohit has launched 140 sixes with these strokes — the most by any batter for a particular shot — including 112 against pacers. For perspective, Gayle is next with just 48 pull-shot sixes against pace.

More than half of Rohit’s ODI sixes have been dispatched through the backward square leg to mid-wicket arc — a testament to his unmatched mastery of the horizontal bat game. Input from cricbuzz website.