IPL 2019: 5 players who can join the 200 sixes club this season
It is that time of the year again, when cricket fever takes over the country and it rains sixes even before the start of the monsoons.
As IPL 2019 takes over the consciousness of sports fans, it also reminds us that the sport has slowly moved to being a batsman's game. With smaller boundaries, better bats and batting friendly pitches, batting is getting easier with each passing year. And that means batsmen hitting more and more sixes each year.
The first place on the list of most sixes hit by a batsman in the IPL is reserved for one man only. The gap between this player and the next batsman is a staggering 111 Sixes. There are obviously no prizes for guessing who that is - 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle.
Gayle stands tall at 298 sixes, which makes the only person to have struck over 200 sixes in the tournament so far.
The highest number of sixes in a season was achieved in 2018, and the lowest number of sixes in a season came in the year 2009. Over the last five years, the 700 sixes in a year mark was crossed thrice, and twice the number was over 600.
These ever-increasing numbers only show how easy it has become for more and more batsmen to join the list of 100+ sixes.
There are five players in particular who have the chance to join the 200-sixes club this season. Here is a look at all of them:
#1 AB de Villiers
Currently retired from international cricket, AB de Villiers plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Currently at 192 sixes from 143 matches, De Villiers hammers 1.343 sixes per match.
#2 MS Dhoni
Captain MS Dhoni has been the star man for Chennai, and the fans love him for a reason. He stands at 187 sixes with an average of 1.056 sixes hit per match.
#3 Suresh Raina
Another player from the super successful club of Chennai Super Kings is in this list. The leading run scorer of the IPL stands at 186 sixes from 178 matches at an average of 1.044 sixes per match.
#4 Rohit Sharma
4-time IPL winner (thrice with Mumbai Indians and once with Deccan Chargers) Rohit Sharma has 185 sixes from 175 matches. He hits 1.057 sixes per match.
#5 Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is yet to win the IPL trophy, but he is the second highest scorer in the tournament's history behind Suresh Raina. Kohli has 178 sixes from 165 matches at an average of 1.078 sixes per match.
Although Kohli seems to have a smaller chance compared to the rest of reaching the 200 club, anything is possible in the IPL. With over 50 sixes already struck this season, we can only watch and enjoy the spectacle.
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