Stats: Most Sixes in T20Is - Who Leads the Table?
Twenty20 Cricket is all about entertainment; stumps flying, boundaries being struck and innovations coming into otherwise traditional cricket. Seeing a ball taking the aerial route out of boundary is the worst scene for any bowler.
T20 Cricket has made this scene much more frequent for bowlers over the past 10 years when T20I cricket was first played. Since then, many destructive bats have sent the ball out of the park over 3958 times. This takes the ratio of sixes in T20Is at almost once after every 20th ball – which is in sharp contrast to once in about 103 balls in ODIs.
We have decided to dig some numbers to find out the batsmen who have struck most sixes in T20Is to-date. Normally, it would be safe to guess Chris Gayle as the man with most sixes in T20Is given his obsession to toss the ball over the boundary line, but, actually, he is not leading the scorecard here.
It is only because he has played only 45 T20Is in his career so far. So, it would be better to check the number of balls taken by a batsmen to hit each six on average and also the sixes per innings. Given below is the list of players with at least 15 sixes in career, and it is placed in descending order with respect to sixes/innings. At the end of table is given the analysis or summary of statistics for easy reading.
Player Name | Span | Matches | Innings | Runs | Ball Faced | 6s | Runs in 6s | Balls per six | Sixes per Innings | |
| CH Gayle (WI) | 2006-2015 | 45 | 43 | 1406 | 986 | 87 | 522 | 11.3 | 2.02 | |
| Yuvraj Singh (India) | 2007-2014 | 40 | 37 | 968 | 669 | 63 | 378 | 10.6 | 1.70 | |
| SR Watson (Aus) | 2006-2015 | 49 | 47 | 1164 | 808 | 69 | 414 | 11.7 | 1.47 | |
| AJ Finch (Aus) | 2011-2014 | 22 | 22 | 756 | 496 | 32 | 192 | 15.5 | 1.45 | |
| LE Bosman (SA) | 2006-2010 | 14 | 14 | 323 |
| 20 | 120 | 11.0 | 1.43 | |
| BB McCullum (NZ) | 2005-2015 | 71 | 70 | 2140 | 1571 | 91 | 546 | 17.3 | 1.30 | |
| DA Warner (Aus) | 2009-2015 | 53 | 53 | 1448 | 1046 | 66 | 396 | 15.8 | 1.25 | |
| Najibullah Zadran (Afg) | 2012-2015 | 16 | 13 | 276 | 201 | 16 | 96 | 12.6 | 1.23 | |
| MN Samuels (WI) | 2007-2015 | 40 | 38 | 952 | 778 | 46 | 276 | 16.9 | 1.21 | |
| RE Levi (SA) | 2012-2012 | 13 | 13 | 236 | 167 | 15 | 90 | 11.1 | 1.15 | |
| GJ Maxwell (Aus) | 2012-2015 | 25 | 21 | 387 | 242 | 23 | 138 | 10.5 | 1.10 | |
| MN Waller (Zim) | 2011-2015 | 16 | 15 | 290 | 196 | 16 | 96 | 12.3 | 1.07 | |
| TLW Cooper (Neth) | 2012-2014 | 15 | 15 | 389 | 286 | 16 | 96 | 17.9 | 1.07 | |
| MJ Guptill (NZ) | 2009-2015 | 52 | 50 | 1414 | 1146 | 53 | 318 | 21.6 | 1.06 | |
| RR Patel (Kenya) | 2008-2013 | 22 | 19 | 345 | 298 | 20 | 120 | 14.9 | 1.05 | |
| MDKJ Perera (SL) | 2013-2015 | 22 | 22 | 596 | 448 | 23 | 138 | 19.5 | 1.05 | |
| JA Morkel (SA) | 2005-2015 | 50 | 38 | 572 | 402 | 39 | 234 | 10.3 | 1.03 | |
| CL White (Aus) | 2007-2014 | 47 | 44 | 984 | 740 | 44 | 264 | 16.8 | 1.00 | |
| EJG Morgan (Eng) | 2009-2015 | 54 | 53 | 1285 | 966 | 53 | 318 | 18.2 | 1.00 | |
| DR Smith (WI) | 2006-2015 | 33 | 32 | 582 | 474 | 31 | 186 | 15.3 | 0.97 | |
| SJ Myburgh (Neth) | 2012-2015 | 22 | 22 | 545 | 442 | 21 | 126 | 21.0 | 0.95 | |
| Asghar Stanikzai (Afg) | 2010-2015 | 24 | 21 | 437 | 452 | 20 | 120 | 22.6 | 0.95 | |
| AD Hales (Eng) | 2011-2015 | 37 | 37 | 1111 | 817 | 35 | 210 | 23.3 | 0.95 | |
| YK Pathan (India) | 2007-2012 | 22 | 18 | 236 | 161 | 17 | 102 | 9.5 | 0.94 | |
| DJ Hussey (Aus) | 2008-2012 | 39 | 36 | 756 | 623 | 34 | 204 | 18.3 | 0.94 | |
| Rizwan Cheema (Can) | 2008-2013 | 16 | 16 | 238 | 219 | 15 | 90 | 14.6 | 0.94 | |
| KA Pollard (WI) | 2008-2015 | 45 | 39 | 664 | 467 | 36 | 216 | 13.0 | 0.92 | |
| F du Plessis (SA) | 2012-2015 | 26 | 26 | 825 | 612 | 24 | 144 | 25.5 | 0.92 | |
| C Kieswetter (Eng) | 2010-2012 | 25 | 25 | 526 | 470 | 23 | 138 | 20.4 | 0.92 | |
| E Chigumbura (Zim) | 2006-2015 | 37 | 36 | 635 |
| 33 | 198 | 12.8 | 0.92 | |
| Imran Nazir (Pak) | 2007-2012 | 25 | 24 | 500 | 370 | 22 | 132 | 16.8 | 0.92 | |
| SK Raina (India) | 2006-2015 | 46 | 40 | 983 | 731 | 36 | 216 | 20.3 | 0.90 | |
| V Sehwag (India) | 2006-2012 | 19 | 18 | 394 | 271 | 16 | 96 | 16.9 | 0.89 | |
| KP Pietersen (Eng) | 2005-2013 | 37 | 36 | 1176 | 831 | 32 | 192 | 26.0 | 0.89 | |
| DJ Bravo (WI) | 2006-2015 | 55 | 50 | 991 | 829 | 44 | 264 | 18.8 | 0.88 | |
| JP Duminy (SA) | 2007-2015 | 63 | 58 | 1528 | 1247 | 51 | 306 | 24.5 | 0.88 | |
| JH Kallis (SA) | 2005-2012 | 25 | 23 | 666 | 558 | 20 | 120 | 27.9 | 0.87 | |
| RG Sharma (India) | 2007-2015 | 44 | 37 | 867 | 676 | 32 | 192 | 21.1 | 0.86 | |
| SB Styris (NZ) | 2005-2010 | 31 | 29 | 578 | 483 | 25 | 150 | 19.3 | 0.86 | |
| Mohammad Shahzad (Afg) | 2010-2015 | 36 | 36 | 960 | 733 | 31 | 186 | 23.6 | 0.86 | |
| CK Kapugedera (SL) | 2006-2015 | 25 | 21 | 376 | 300 | 18 | 108 | 16.7 | 0.86 | |
| JD Ryder (NZ) | 2008-2014 | 22 | 21 | 457 | 358 | 18 | 108 | 19.9 | 0.86 | |
| Shafiqullah (Afg) | 2010-2015 | 23 | 20 | 282 | 200 | 17 | 102 | 11.8 | 0.85 | |
| ADS Fletcher (WI) | 2008-2015 | 24 | 24 | 427 | 383 | 20 | 120 | 19.2 | 0.83 | |
| MEK Hussey (Aus) | 2005-2012 | 38 | 30 | 721 | 529 | 25 | 150 | 21.2 | 0.83 | |
| V Kohli (India) | 2010-2015 | 30 | 28 | 1016 | 766 | 23 | 138 | 33.3 | 0.82 | |
| GJ Bailey (Aus) | 2012-2014 | 28 | 25 | 470 | 334 | 20 | 120 | 16.7 | 0.80 | |
| H Masakadza (Zim) | 2006-2015 | 38 | 38 | 1002 | 881 | 30 | 180 | 29.4 | 0.79 | |
| LMP Simmons (WI) | 2007-2015 | 34 | 33 | 761 | 668 | 26 | 156 | 25.7 | 0.79 | |
| GC Smith (SA) | 2005-2011 | 33 | 33 | 982 | 770 | 26 | 156 | 29.6 | 0.79 | |
| MJ Lumb (Eng) | 2010-2014 | 27 | 27 | 552 | 413 | 21 | 126 | 19.7 | 0.78 | |
| ST Jayasuriya (SL) | 2006-2011 | 31 | 30 | 629 | 487 | 23 | 138 | 21.2 | 0.77 | |
| Shahid Afridi (Pak) | 2006-2015 | 87 | 81 | 1275 | 860 | 62 | 372 | 13.9 | 0.77 | |
| Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak) | 2007-2012 | 39 | 34 | 788 | 715 | 26 | 156 | 27.5 | 0.76 | |
| LRPL Taylor (NZ) | 2006-2015 | 64 | 58 | 1137 | 953 | 44 | 264 | 21.7 | 0.76 | |
| JEC Franklin (NZ) | 2006-2013 | 38 | 31 | 463 | 391 | 23 | 138 | 17.0 | 0.74 | |
| JDP Oram (NZ) | 2005-2012 | 36 | 30 | 474 | 339 | 22 | 132 | 15.4 | 0.73 | |
| PD Collingwood (Eng) | 2005-2011 | 35 | 33 | 583 | 459 | 24 | 144 | 19.1 | 0.73 | |
| Abdul Razzaq (Pak) | 2006-2013 | 32 | 29 | 393 | 337 | 21 | 126 | 16.0 | 0.72 | |
| Mashrafe Mortaza (Ban) | 2006-2015 | 33 | 25 | 299 | 216 | 18 | 108 | 12.0 | 0.72 | |
| NLTC Perera (SL) | 2010-2015 | 40 | 33 | 469 | 306 | 23 | 138 | 13.3 | 0.70 | |
| LJ Wright (Eng) | 2007-2014 | 51 | 45 | 759 | 554 | 31 | 186 | 17.9 | 0.69 | |
| Q de Kock (SA) | 2012-2015 | 22 | 22 | 513 | 422 | 15 | 90 | 28.1 | 0.68 | |
| JC Buttler (Eng) | 2011-2015 | 40 | 34 | 562 | 420 | 23 | 138 | 18.3 | 0.68 | |
| Mohammad Nabi (Afg) | 2010-2015 | 33 | 30 | 433 | 337 | 20 | 120 | 16.9 | 0.67 | |
| Umar Akmal (Pak) | 2009-2015 | 68 | 65 | 1421 | 1158 | 43 | 258 | 26.9 | 0.66 | |
| BRM Taylor (Zim) | 2006-2014 | 26 | 26 | 594 | 480 | 17 | 102 | 28.2 | 0.65 | |
| KJ Coetzer (Scot) | 2008-2015 | 28 | 26 | 587 | 535 | 17 | 102 | 31.5 | 0.65 | |
| DA Miller (SA) | 2010-2015 | 37 | 32 | 612 | 479 | 20 | 120 | 24.0 | 0.63 | |
| Ahmed Shehzad (Pak) | 2009-2015 | 37 | 37 | 908 | 784 | 23 | 138 | 34.1 | 0.62 | |
| Nawroz Mangal (Afg) | 2010-2015 | 30 | 30 | 454 | 415 | 18 | 108 | 23.1 | 0.60 | |
| DPMD Jayawardene (SL) | 2006-2014 | 55 | 55 | 1493 | 1121 | 33 | 198 | 34.0 | 0.60 | |
| W Barresi (Neth) | 2012-2015 | 27 | 27 | 518 | 418 | 16 | 96 | 26.1 | 0.59 | |
| DJG Sammy (WI) | 2007-2015 | 60 | 47 | 526 | 346 | 27 | 162 | 12.8 | 0.57 | |
| Shakib Al Hasan (Ban) | 2006-2015 | 38 | 38 | 843 | 672 | 21 | 126 | 32.0 | 0.55 | |
| Kamran Akmal (Pak) | 2006-2014 | 54 | 49 | 897 | 745 | 27 | 162 | 27.6 | 0.55 | |
| Samiullah Shenwari (Afg) | 2010-2015 | 34 | 31 | 506 | 432 | 17 | 102 | 25.4 | 0.55 | |
| PW Borren (Neth) | 2008-2015 | 35 | 31 | 527 | 435 | 17 | 102 | 25.6 | 0.55 | |
| KJ O'Brien (Ire) | 2008-2015 | 45 | 39 | 508 | 419 | 21 | 126 | 20.0 | 0.54 | |
| AB de Villiers (SA) | 2006-2015 | 63 | 60 | 1167 | 927 | 32 | 192 | 29.0 | 0.53 | |
| PR Stirling (Ire) | 2009-2015 | 30 | 30 | 666 | 520 | 16 | 96 | 32.5 | 0.53 | |
| MS Dhoni (India) | 2006-2015 | 52 | 47 | 874 | 750 | 25 | 150 | 30.0 | 0.53 | |
| Mohammad Hafeez (Pak) | 2006-2015 | 68 | 66 | 1432 | 1244 | 34 | 204 | 36.6 | 0.52 | |
| AD Mathews (SL) | 2009-2015 | 57 | 43 | 739 | 612 | 22 | 132 | 27.8 | 0.51 | |
| RS Bopara (Eng) | 2008-2014 | 38 | 35 | 711 | 599 | 17 | 102 | 35.2 | 0.49 | |
| Mahmudullah (Ban) | 2007-2015 | 37 | 32 | 411 | 396 | 15 | 90 | 26.4 | 0.47 | |
| Mushfiqur Rahim (Ban) | 2006-2015 | 43 | 37 | 569 | 492 | 17 | 102 | 28.9 | 0.46 | |
| TM Dilshan (SL) | 2006-2015 | 66 | 65 | 1590 | 1314 | 27 | 162 | 48.7 | 0.42 | |
| KC Sangakkara (SL) | 2006-2014 | 56 | 53 | 1382 | 1156 | 20 | 120 | 57.8 | 0.38 | |
| 2006-2015 | 67 | 63 | 1178 | 1077 | 22 | 132 | 49.0 | 0.35 | |
Most Sixes in Career
- There is a total of 90 players with at least 15 sixes in T20Is.
- Brendon McCullum has hit most sixes in T20Is (91). Chris Gayle has struck 87 sixes and is on 2nd spot. No other player has hit more than 70.
- For India, Yuvraj Singh leads the list with 63 sixes.
- There are 9 players with at least 50 sixes in T20Is. (2 each from Aus, NZ and 1 each from Pak, Ind, WI, SA and Eng).
Sixes per innings
- Chris Gayle is on the top of the list with 2.02 sixes/innings. The next on the list is the man who struck six 6s in an over, Yuvraj Singh, at 1.70.
- There are only 20 players among these 90 who have struck sixes equal to or more than the innings they played in.
- Eoin Morgan and Craig White are the only 2 players to have hit exactly the same number of sixes as the innings they played.
- Veteran players like Dilshan, Sangakkara and Shoaib Malik are at the bottom of the list, which shows they rely more on fours and running between the wickets than sixes.
Balls per sixes
- There are 45 players who have taken less than 20 balls per six (the overall average with which a six is usually struck in T20Is).
- Yousuf Pathan leads the table with a six after every 9.5 balls, followed by Albie Morkel (10.3) and Glenn Maxwell (10.5).
- Yuvraj Singh’s 10.6 is the best for any batsman who has faced at least 500 balls.
- The table is again lead from the bottom by the three ground-shot players- Dilshan, Sangakkara and Malik.
- Interestingly, in this chart, among the bottom 7 positions, 6 are occupied by either Pakistani or Sri Lankan Players (3 each). Ravi Bopara is the sole exception in the bottom 7 positions.