Top five players with most sixes in T20I cricket
Recently, star Indian batsman Rohit Sharma broke the record for most sixes in international T20s by surpassing the 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle's tally of 105 sixes. In this era of T20 cricket, it is no longer surprising that batsmen are able to hit these many sixes. However, it wasn't always like this as sixes were a scarce phenomenon.
15-20 years ago, sixes were unique and really tough to score. With big boundaries and thin willows, batsmen mostly found it very difficult to get a maximum. It was the advent of T20 cricket around 2002-03 that changed everything with regards to six-hitting. Batsmen began to work harder in the gym, boundary ropes were pulled in and mammoth bats became a common feature.
Also, the rise of various T20 leagues like Indian Premier League, Big Bash League and Caribbean Premier League have helped in the development and knowledge transfer of players. All these aspects and constantly evolving big-hitting techniques have helped batsmen score sixes with ease. Here is a look at five players who have hit the most number of sixes in international T20s.
#5 Brendon McCullum- 91 Sixes
One of the early superstars in the shortest format of cricket, Brendon McCullum's presence in this list shouldn't surprise anyone. Who can ever forget his monumental 158* in the opening fixture of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League in 2008?
The number of sixes in that scorcher of a knock gave us a glimpse of how destructive he was in this format. Apart from that mammoth hundred in the IPL, he also has two centuries to his name in international T20Is against Australia and Bangladesh. In fact, McCullum's century against Australia was the second-ever hundred in international T20s.
For fans around the world, it was the former Kiwi captain's uninhibited aggression with the bat that stood out. Even against some of the world's quickest bowlers, McCullum used to dance down the wicket and smash the ball straight into the sight screens.
Apart from being the fifth-highest six-hitter, the 37-year-old also occupies the fifth spot in the list for most runs in international T20s with 2140 runs in 71 matches.