Top 20 Players With Most Sixes In ODI Cricket (2026 Updated)

Rohit Sharma holds the record for the most sixes in ODI cricket with 357 maximums, surpassing Shahid Afridi’s long-standing mark of 351 in November 2025.

Behind him sit legends like Chris Gayle (331), Sanath Jayasuriya (270), and MS Dhoni (229), each of whom brought their own brand of destruction to bowlers worldwide.

This article covers the complete top 20 list, individual player breakdowns, single-innings records, country-wise analysis, and how six-hitting has shaped modern ODI cricket. All stats are updated as of early 2026.

Top 20 Players With Most Sixes in ODI Cricket

Before we break down individual stories, here is the full leaderboard of the highest six hitters in ODI history.

Rank	Player	Team	Span	Mat	Runs	HS	6s
1	Rohit Sharma	India	2007-2026	282	11,577	264	357
2	Shahid Afridi	Pakistan	1996-2015	398	8,064	124	351
3	Chris Gayle	West Indies	1999-2019	301	10,480	215	331
4	Sanath Jayasuriya	Sri Lanka	1989-2011	445	13,430	189	270
5	MS Dhoni	India	2004-2019	350	10,773	183*	229
6	Eoin Morgan	England	2006-2022	248	7,701	148	220
7	AB de Villiers	South Africa	2005-2018	228	9,577	176	204
8	Brendon McCullum	New Zealand	2002-2016	260	6,083	166	200
9	Sachin Tendulkar	India	1989-2012	463	18,426	200*	195
10	Sourav Ganguly	India	1992-2007	311	11,363	183	190
11	Martin Guptill	New Zealand	2009-2022	198	7,346	237*	187
12	Jos Buttler	England	2012–2026	199	5,515	162*	184
13	Virat Kohli	India	2008-2025	311	14,797	183	168
14	Ricky Ponting	Australia	1995-2012	375	13,704	164	162
15	Glenn Maxwell	Australia	2012-2025	149	3,990	201*	155
16	Yuvraj Singh	India	2000-2017	304	8,701	150	155
17	Chris Cairns	New Zealand	1991-2006	215	4,950	115	153
18	Paul Stirling	Ireland	2008-2025	170	6,005	177	149
19	Adam Gilchrist	Australia	1996-2008	287	9,619	172	149
20	Ross Taylor	New Zealand	2006-2022	236	8,607	181*	147

Let’s have a detailed look at the top 20 ODI six hitters:

1. Rohit Sharma (India), 357 Sixes

Rohit Sharma broke Shahid Afridi’s 15-year-old record on November 30, 2025, during the 1st ODI against South Africa in Ranchi.

He smashed his 352nd six off Marco Jansen to overtake Afridi and has since pushed his tally to 357.

What makes Rohit special is his transformation. Early in his career, he managed just 36 sixes in 102 innings. After being promoted to opener in 2013, he hit 316 sixes in the next 167 innings.

He holds the record for the most sixes against a single team (93 vs Australia), most sixes in a country (182 in India), and most sixes in a calendar year (67 in 2023).

Also, the only player with three ODI double centuries (209 vs Australia, 264 vs Sri Lanka, 208* vs Sri Lanka), Rohit blends timing with raw power better than almost anyone in the game’s history.

2. Shahid Afridi (Pakistan), 351 Sixes

For 15 years, “Boom Boom” Shahid Afridi sat at the top of this list. That alone tells you something about the sheer audacity of his batting.

Afridi burst onto the scene in 1996 with a 37-ball century against Sri Lanka, a record that stood for nearly two decades.

In 398 ODIs, he played as a lower-order aggressor who swung first and asked questions later. His strike rate of 117 remains one of the highest among players with over 8,000 ODI runs.

While Rohit has claimed the crown, Afridi’s impact on how ODI cricket is played cannot be overstated. He made six-hitting look like the default setting, not a luxury.

3. Chris Gayle (West Indies), 331 Sixes

The “Universe Boss” Chris Gayle treated bowlers the way a cat treats a laser pointer: with casual interest followed by sudden, devastating action.

Gayle’s 215 against Zimbabwe in the 2015 World Cup included 16 sixes, and it remains the highest individual score in ODI World Cup history.

In 301 ODIs, he accumulated 10,480 runs with a strike rate of 87.19. He hit 152 sixes in the powerplay overs alone (where ball-by-ball data exists), the most by any player.

Gayle’s ability to turn any ground into his personal playground made him arguably the most feared opener in white-ball cricket history.

4. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka), 270 Sixes

If there is one player who changed the blueprint for ODI opening batting, it is Sanath Jayasuriya.

Before the 1996 World Cup, openers were expected to see off the new ball and protect their wicket. Jayasuriya, along with Romesh Kaluwitharana, tore up that playbook completely.

In 445 ODIs (the most matches on this entire list), he scored 13,430 runs and hit 270 sixes. His innings of 189 against India in 2000 is still remembered as one of the most destructive knocks in ODI history.

Jayasuriya inspired an entire generation of batters to attack from ball one, and his influence trickles down to every power-hitting opener you see today.

5. MS Dhoni (India), 229 Sixes

Most of MS Dhoni’s 229 sixes came with the match on the line, which makes this number even more impressive than it looks on paper.

The helicopter shot became his signature weapon, a stroke that seemed to defy physics. Dhoni could take deliveries aimed at his toes and send them sailing over long-on.

His most iconic six? 

The one that won India the 2011 Cricket World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium. That single shot has been replayed more times than any other moment in Indian cricket.

In 350 ODIs, Dhoni scored 10,773 runs at an average of 50.57 and a strike rate of 87.56. His 84 not-outs show how often he stayed till the end to finish the job.

6. Eoin Morgan (England), 220 Sixes

Eoin Morgan holds the record for the most sixes in a single ODI innings: 17, hit against Afghanistan at Old Trafford during the 2019 World Cup.

Morgan was the architect of England’s white-ball revolution. Under his captaincy, England went from being a conservative ODI team to world champions in 2019.

In 248 ODIs, he scored 7,701 runs with 220 sixes, and his aggressive mindset reshaped how English cricket approached limited-overs batting at every level.

7. AB de Villiers (South Africa), 204 Sixes

“Mr. 360” AB de Villiers could hit sixes to areas of the ground that other batters didn’t even know existed.

His 149 off just 44 balls against the West Indies in 2015 included 16 sixes and remains the fastest 150 in ODI history. That innings had a strike rate of 338.63. Let that number sink in for a moment.

In 228 ODIs, he scored 9,577 runs at an average of 53.50 with a strike rate of 101.09. De Villiers retired in 2018, and South African fans still haven’t quite gotten over it.

8. Brendon McCullum (New Zealand), 200 Sixes

Brendon McCullum played ODI cricket like he had somewhere else to be. Fast, fearless, and always looking to attack.

His 200 sixes in 260 ODIs made him the backbone of New Zealand’s batting in the 2000s and 2010s. McCullum’s approach at the top of the order gave New Zealand an aggression they previously lacked in ODIs.

His highest ODI score of 166 showed that he could combine big-hitting with sustaining long innings when needed.

9. Sachin Tendulkar (India), 195 Sixes

Sachin Tendulkar was not traditionally seen as a six-hitter, which makes 195 sixes in 463 ODIs that much more interesting.

The highest run-scorer in ODI history (18,426 runs) picked his moments carefully. His sixes weren’t about brute force; they were about timing, placement, and a sense of knowing exactly when the bowler had erred.

Tendulkar was the first player to score a double century in ODIs (200* vs South Africa in 2010), an innings that opened the door for Rohit Sharma’s three double tons that followed.

10. Sourav Ganguly (India), 190 Sixes

The “Prince of Kolkata” Sourav Ganguly was an offside maestro, but his ability to loft the ball over long-off and long-on made him a consistent six-hitter too.

In 311 ODIs with 11,363 runs, Ganguly’s 190 sixes came with an elegance that made them look almost effortless.

As India’s captain during one of the most transformative eras in Indian cricket (early 2000s), Ganguly’s own aggressive batting set the tone for the team’s approach.

11. Martin Guptill (New Zealand), 187 Sixes

Martin Guptill’s 237* against the West Indies in the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal is the fourth-highest individual ODI score ever.

In 198 ODIs, Guptill scored 7,346 runs. He was one of the most reliable power-hitters at the top of New Zealand’s order for over a decade.

12. Jos Buttler (England), 184 Sixes

Jos Buttler’s ODI strike rate of 115.10 is the highest on this entire top 20 list. Nobody on this list scores faster per ball than he does.

His 162* off 70 balls against the Netherlands in 2022, which included 14 sixes, was one of the most explosive innings in recent ODI memory.

13. Virat Kohli (India), 168 Sixes

Virat Kohli’s 168 sixes might seem modest for a player with 14,797 ODI runs, but that’s because Kohli’s game is built on run-accumulation and timing rather than clearing boundaries.

With 54 ODI centuries (the most by any player ever), Kohli proves that you don’t need to be a six-hitting machine to dominate ODIs.

14. Ricky Ponting (Australia), 162 Sixes

Ricky Ponting led Australia to two World Cup titles (2003, 2007) and scored 13,704 ODI runs in 375 matches. His pull shot remains one of the most fearsome strokes in cricket history.

15. Glenn Maxwell (Australia), 155 Sixes

Maxwell has one of the highest strike rates among players in the top 20. He hits sixes at a rate that makes 155 in just 149 matches look completely normal.

His 201* against Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup, scored while battling cramps, is considered one of the greatest ODI innings ever played.

16. Yuvraj Singh (India), 155 Sixes

Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes off Stuart Broad in a single over at the 2007 T20 World Cup made global headlines. While that was a T20I, it perfectly captured his ODI mindset too.

In 304 ODIs with 8,701 runs, Yuvraj was India’s go-to match-winner in the middle overs for more than a decade. Player of the Tournament at the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj’s left-handed power-hitting was a nightmare for any bowling attack.

17. Chris Cairns (New Zealand), 153 Sixes

Chris Cairns was one of the finest all-rounders in New Zealand cricket history. His 153 sixes in 215 ODIs came at a strike rate of 84.26, impressive numbers for an era when six-hitting was far less common than it is today.

18. Paul Stirling (Ireland), 149 Sixes

Paul Stirling is the only Associate-turned-Full Member nation player to feature in this top 20. The Irish opener has 6,005 runs in 170 ODIs and continues to add to his tally.

Stirling’s presence on this list shows how Irish cricket has grown, and he deserves far more recognition than he gets.

19. Adam Gilchrist (Australia), 149 Sixes

Adam Gilchrist changed what people expected from a wicketkeeper-batter. Before him, keepers were supposed to be tidy batters. Gilchrist was a wrecking ball.

In 287 ODIs with 9,619 runs at a strike rate of 96.94, Gilchrist’s 149 sixes came with an attacking intent that paved the way for every keeper-batter who followed, including Dhoni and Buttler.

20. Ross Taylor (New Zealand), 147 Sixes

Ross Taylor was New Zealand’s quiet achiever. In 236 ODIs with 8,607 runs and a highest score of 181*, Taylor’s 147 sixes underline his ability to accelerate when the situation demands.

Taylor and McCullum together gave New Zealand a one-two punch that made them genuine contenders in global tournaments throughout the 2010s.

Most Sixes in A Single ODI Innings

Career records tell one story, but single-innings explosions tell another. Here are the players who hit the most sixes in one ODI innings.

Player	Team	Runs	Balls	Opponent	6s	Year
Eoin Morgan	England	148	71	vs Afghanistan	17	2019
Rohit Sharma	India	209	158	vs Australia	16	2013
AB de Villiers	South Africa	149	44	vs West Indies	16	2015
Chris Gayle	West Indies	215	147	vs Zimbabwe	16	2015
Jaskaran Malhotra	USA	173	124	vs PNG	16	2021
Shane Watson	Australia	185	96	vs Bangladesh	15	2011

Eoin Morgan’s 17-six innings against Afghanistan in 2019 is the ODI record. What made it even more remarkable is that it came in a World Cup match, with the stakes sky-high and millions watching.

Country-Wise Breakdown of Top 20 ODI Six Hitters

India dominates the top 20 with six players, which makes sense given the sheer volume of ODIs India plays and the country’s tradition of producing attacking batters.

Country	Players in Top 20	Names
India	6	Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh
New Zealand	4	Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Chris Cairns, Ross Taylor
Australia	3	Ricky Ponting, Glenn Maxwell, and Adam Gilchrist
England	2	Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler
Pakistan	1	Shahid Afridi
West Indies	1	Chris Gayle
Sri Lanka	1	Sanath Jayasuriya
South Africa	1	AB de Villiers
Ireland	1	Paul Stirling

New Zealand punches well above its weight with four players in the top 20, reflecting the country’s tradition of aggressive batters from Cairns to McCullum to Guptill.

How Six-Hitting in ODI Cricket Has Evolved Over the Decades

From cautious accumulation to relentless power-hitting, the role of the six in One Day Internationals has transformed dramatically with each passing decade.

The 1990s: Jayasuriya Changes the Game

Before the 1996 Cricket World Cup, ODI batting was relatively cautious. Openers would take their time, build a foundation, and leave the big hitting to the middle and lower order.

Jayasuriya and Sri Lanka rewrote that manual by attacking from the first over. This shift directly influenced how teams approached powerplay batting for the next three decades.

The 2000s: Afridi, Gilchrist, and the Power Era

Afridi and Gilchrist took six-hitting to absurd levels. Batting averages went up, scoring rates climbed, and teams started expecting 250+ totals as a baseline in ODIs.

This decade also saw improved bat technology, shorter boundaries at some venues, and fielding restrictions that gave batters more room to swing freely.

The 2010s: T20 Influence and the 300+ Era

The Indian Premier League (IPL), launched in 2008, transformed how batters think about risk. Shots like the reverse sweep, switch hit, and scoop became standard. ODI totals of 350+ became almost routine.

Rohit Sharma, de Villiers, Maxwell, and Morgan all refined their six-hitting during this era, benefiting from T20 innovations that spilled over into 50-over cricket.

The 2020s: Fewer ODIs, Bigger Hitting

ODI cricket now faces a scheduling squeeze, with T20s getting more calendar space. However, when ODIs do happen, the six-hitting rate has never been higher.

Players like Jos Buttler (strike rate 115.10) and Glenn Maxwell (strike rate 126.70) are scoring at rates that would have been unthinkable even a decade ago.

Why Do Sixes Matter So Much In ODI Cricket?

A six is the maximum return a batter can get from a single delivery. That alone makes it tactically significant.

But beyond the runs, sixes create psychological pressure on the bowling side. A couple of early sixes can rattle a bowler’s confidence, force a captain into defensive field placements, and shift the momentum of an entire match.

In run chases, sixes reduce the required rate dramatically. MS Dhoni built his entire finishing career around the ability to clear the rope at the right moment, often turning impossible targets into comfortable wins.

For fans, sixes are the most exciting moment in any ODI. They fill stadiums, drive TV ratings, and create the kind of highlight-reel content that keeps cricket relevant in a crowded sports market.

Active Players Who Could Climb the Most Sixes In The ODI List

With several legends having retired, the question is: who’s next?

Jos Buttler (184 sixes) is the highest-ranked active player after Rohit. Given his strike rate and England’s ODI schedule, he could push past 200 within the next year.

Glenn Maxwell (155) plays fewer ODIs due to Australia’s packed calendar, but when he does, he makes every innings count. His strike rate of 126.70 means sixes come thick and fast.

Paul Stirling (149) continues to be a consistent performer for Ireland. If Ireland plays more ODIs in the next ICC cycle, Stirling could push well past 160.

Keep an eye on younger players like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal from India, who have the talent and the opportunity to become major six-hitters as their careers progress.\

Suggested Reads:

• Biggest Win In ODI By Runs
• Greatest Cricketers In Cricket History

Conclusion: With 357 Sixes, Rohit Sharma Holds The Record For The Most Sixes In One Day International Cricket

The list of the six most sixes in ODI cricket tells a story of how the game has evolved from cautious accumulation to fearless aggression. Rohit Sharma sits at the summit with 357 sixes, but the players behind him, from Afridi’s chaos to Dhoni’s calm finishing to Gayle’s sheer brute force, have all shaped what modern ODI batting looks like.

As ODI cricket adapts to a future where T20s dominate the calendar, the batters who can clear the boundary consistently will only become more valuable. This top 20 list is a tribute to those who made six-hitting an art form.

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