Andre Russell entered the Indian Premier League’s record books on Saturday after a magnificent knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad in match number 3 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Russell spanked a total of seven sixes and three fours in a 25-ball 64*. His blitz helped Kolkata Knight Riders manage 208/7 in 20 overs. He shared a record 81-run stand for the 7th wicket alongside Rinku Singh. SRH pushed until the end, but Heinrich Klaasen’s masterful 63 wasn’t enough in a four-run defeat.
Russell’s seven sixes took him to 200 IPL maximums as he became the latest entrant in an exclusive club. Russell reached the mark in 97 innings. As a game veteran, we have all become accustomed to Russell and his explosiveness.
Here, we analyse batters with the most IPL sixes.
Chris Gayle
Gayle played 142 matches in the IPL and remains the top customer regarding six-hitting. Former West Indies ace Gayle owns 357 IPL sixes. He is the only player in the competition’s history to smash 300-plus maximums. Gayle achieved the mark in 141 innings. He smacked 4965 runs at 39.72 and carried a strike rate of 148.96. Gayle is also the highest six-hitter in the 20-over format. He owns 1056 sixes. His tally of 14562 runs remains the highest.
Rohit Sharma
Mumbai Indians ace Rohit Sharma is second in the list. Rohit has smashed a tally of 257 sixes in the global league. Former Deccan Chargers batter Rohit, who led Mumbai to five IPL titles, is the most successful Indian regarding IPL sixes. He owns 6211 runs at 29.57 and has a strike rate of 130.04. Overall, the veteran Indian skipper has smashed 487 sixes in the 20-over format. Rohit currently owns 11156 runs.
AB de Villiers
Former DC and RCB legend AB de Villiers consistently bossed the IPL. De Villiers remains third on the list with 251 sixes in the IPL. He achieved the mark in 170 innings. He scored 5162 runs at 39.7 and carried a strike rate worth 151.68. In the 20-over format, ABD managed 436 sixes, scoring 9424 runs. De Villiers, known as Mr 360, had tremendous calibre in the format.
MS Dhoni
Veteran MS Dhoni is next with a total of 239 IPL maximums. CSK legend Dhoni, who spent 2 seasons with the Rising Pune Supergiant, has taken 218 innings for his 239 sixes. He owns 5082 IPL runs at 38.79. His strike rate reads 135.91. Dhoni owns 7271 runs in the 20-over format and has smashed 325 sixes.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli has been IPL’s best batter since the league’s inception in 2008. He scored the most runs in IPL history with 7284 under his belt at 37.16. His strike rate reads 129.93. Kohli has smashed 235 sixes from 230 innings. In RCB’s opener against CSK, Kohli became the first Indian to smash 12000 runs in the 20-over format. He has hit 372 sixes in total.
David Warner
IPL’s best foreign player, David Warner, is sixth in terms of IPL sixes. He owns a tally of 228 maximums from 177 innings. Warner has smoked 6426 IPL runs at 41.15. His strike rate reads a decent 139.90. In the 20-over format, the southpaw has clobbered 436 sixes. He owns 12094 runs at 37.09, and his strike rate reads 140.17.
Kieron Pollard
Former Mumbai Indians hero Kieron Pollard is known for his monstrous sixes. Pollard went on to celebrate 223 maximums in the IPL from 171 innings. He scored a total of 3412 runs at 28.67. His strike rate reads 147.32. In the 20-over format, West Indies legend Pollard has smashed the second-most sixes after Gayle. He owns a total of 860 maximums, having scored 12900 runs at 31.46. His strike rate of 150.98 is truly sensational.
Suresh Raina
Former Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Lions ace Suresh Raina wildly succeeded in the premier competition. Raina hit 203 sixes from 200 IPL innings. He scored 5528 runs at 32.51 and carried a strike rate worth 136.73. In the 20-over format, Raina made his presence felt with 8654 runs at an average of 32.17 and a strike rate of 137.45. Raina ended his career with a total of 325 sixes.
Andre Russell
KKR stalwart Russell is someone whose power defines his brilliance on the field. Having been a veteran in the format, Russell reached 200 sixes in the abovementioned competition from 97 innings. 197 of his sixes have come for KKR. Russell owns 2326 runs at 29.82. His strike rate of 175.54 is the best in the format. In 20 overs of cricket, Russell has spanked 675 sixes. He owns 8273 runs at 27.39. His strike rate is a phenomenal 169.87.
Shane Watson completes the top 10 in terms of most IPL sixes. Former RR, RCB and CSK ace Watson smashed 190 maximums from 141 innings. His strike rate was 137.91.
