ODI cricket has changed a lot over the years. T20 cricket has had a big impact on how fans and players see ODI matches. Now, scoring around 250 runs in an ODI game isn’t seen as difficult anymore. Teams regularly reach this target quite easily.
These days, teams can chase down scores of over 300 without much trouble. In ODI cricket, strike rates are now just as important as batting averages. Fans see a lot more sixes and fours being hit compared to the early days of the format.
This article looks at the top 5 batsmen who have hit the most sixes in One-Day Internationals.
5. Mahendra Singh Dhoni- 229 sixes
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of the best players ever, is ranked fifth on the list. He’s one of just two Indian captains who have won an ICC World Cup. Dhoni led India to victory in the ICC 2011 World Cup after a 28-year wait.
He’s famous for his powerful hitting and is considered India’s best finisher ever. Dhoni was known for smashing massive sixes. In his one-day international (ODI) career, he hit 229 sixes and 826 fours in 350 matches.
ALSO READ: USA vs WI 46th T20I Match Preview, Dream11 Tips, Pitch Report, and Match Details
4. Rohit Sharma- 245 sixes
Rohit Sharma, a long-time cricketer for India, is currently the only active player on this list. He was recently selected as the full-time captain for white-ball cricket. He started his captaincy strongly by winning the T20 series against New Zealand and the ODI series against West Indies.
Rohit Sharma is known as one of the best opening batsmen in white-ball cricket today. At 34 years old, he has scored 9283 runs in 230 ODIs, averaging 48.6 runs per match. Additionally, he has hit the fourth-highest number of sixes in international cricket, with a total of 245 sixes.
3. Sanath Jayasuriya- 270 sixes
Sanath Jayasuriya, a famous cricketer from Sri Lanka, ranks fourth on the list. He revolutionized how teams play during the first 20 overs of One Day International (ODI) cricket. Jayasuriya was exceptional at hitting the ball hard and scoring big sixes.
During his career, Jayasuriya scored 14,725 runs in 445 ODIs. On average, he scored 32.36 runs per match. Additionally, he holds the record for hitting the third-most sixes in ODI cricket, with 270 sixes.
ALSO READ: Here are five players who have hit the most sixes in the 20th over of T20I matches.
2. Chris Gayle- 331 sixes
Chris Gayle, known as the Universal Boss, has achieved fame in limited-overs cricket due to his outstanding performances. He began his One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in 1999 against India. His final ODI match, in 2019, was also against India. Throughout his two-decade career, he played 301 ODIs for the West Indies. Gayle scored more than 10,000 runs with an average close to 40. Moreover, he smashed 331 sixes in his ODI career.
1. Shahid Afridi- 351
Shahid Afridi, a longtime cricketer from Pakistan, holds the record for hitting the most sixes in 50-over cricket. He played for almost twenty years and participated in 398 ODIs for Pakistan.
Afridi made a strong impression by scoring the fastest century in only his second ODI match, reaching 100 runs in just 37 deliveries. Throughout his ODI career, he scored 8064 runs with an average of 23.57. Afridi maintained an impressive strike rate of 117, the highest among all players.
READ MORE:
