From IPL Archives: Players who hit the most sixes for their team in IPL 2008
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most popular T20 cricket leagues in the world, ever since its inception in 2008. Right from its first season, IPL has seen countless brilliant performances, with many cricketers finding their way into stardom by virtue of what they have achieved using bat or ball.
The opening season started off with Brendon McCullum bludgeoning Royal Challengers Bangalore into submission and ended with Rajasthan Royals coming from nowhere to clinch the first-ever IPL title, with just a bunch of youngsters coached and captained by veteran Shane Warne.
In this particular list right here, we take a look at the top eight batsmen - one from each team - that hit the most sixes in the 2008 edition.
#1. Sanath Jayasuriya (Mumbai Indians)
Sanath Jayasuriya was also the top run-scorer for his team, Mumbai Indians, in the earliest season of IPL. Sanath's six hitting ability is known to every cricket fan.
On his way to the 514 runs that he made from 14 games, he blasted 31 sixes, the most by any player in IPL 2008. He thus went home with the "maximum sixes" award as well. He smashed a century against the Deccan Chargers in a group stage game, smashing 11 sixes along the way, which is still the most number of sixes hit by any Mumbai Indians player in an IPL innings.
Eleven of his sixes came in a single game against Chennai Super Kings in a group stage encounter, when Jayasuriya turned the clock at 38 years of age to produce a masterclass hundred that helped his side emerge winners against the eventual runners-up. His victims that day included bowlers like Manpreet Gony and his national teammate Muttiah Muralidharan, who had been consistent wicket-takers for Chennai until then.
Jayasuriya's onslaught still could not carry Mumbai beyond the group stages, as they ended up finishing fifth.