Cricket is known as a game for gentlemen, where people value skill and technique in batting. Players with great technique are admired, and hitting sixes shows raw power.
While strength helps in hitting the ball far, it’s really a combination of power, technique, and timing that makes a six stand out. In cricket, taking singles and keeping the scoreboard ticking is important, but sometimes a big six can change the outcome of a match.
Only a few players can regularly hit impressive sixes.
In this article, we’ll look at the 10 longest sixes ever hit in international cricket.
10. Chris Gayle – 116m
Chris Gayle, T20 cricket, and sixes are closely connected since the “Universe Boss” started playing T20 matches. Known for his impressive performances in franchise cricket, Gayle has also been a key player for the West Indies in T20 Internationals.
In a World T20 match against India, Gayle hit a delivery from Yusuf Pathan for 116 meters. Gayle likely aims to hit even further, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he does so the next time he plays international cricket.
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9. Shahid Afridi – 117m
Shahid Afridi is famous for hitting sixes, and there’s a good reason why. In 2005, he hit a massive six that went 117 meters against Australian bowlers.
During that game for Pakistan, Afridi hit many sixes, but this one stood out because it was so long and got him into the record books again.
When Afridi came to bat, the Australian bowlers couldn’t stop him from hitting boundaries. The highlight of that match was Afridi’s batting, especially the huge six that everyone talked about for days.
8. MS Dhoni – 118m
MS Dhoni, the most successful captain in cricket history for winning ICC tournaments, was known for his impressive ability to hit sixes effortlessly. During his career, he was especially good at chasing down targets and could hit huge sixes.
He once hit a massive 118-meter six, which is why he’s featured on this list at number 8. His short-arm jabs were amazing to watch when he was at his best. In an ODI against New Zealand, he hit a six on the last ball of the 44th over, sending the ball into the crowd. Dhoni will always be remembered as one of the greatest finishers in international cricket.
7. Yuvraj Singh – 119m
Another name on this list, like Afridi, is Yuvraj Singh. His ability to hit sixes in limited-overs cricket made him famous and he still holds a place in cricket’s record books. He’s ranked 7th on this list for a shot he hit in a World T20 match against Australia in 2007.
In one of his most famous innings, Yuvraj went after the Australian bowlers, hitting them hard with his left-handed batting. The ball he hit traveled 119 meters, off the bowling of Brett Lee. Ironically, Brett Lee, who is also on this list for hitting a longer six in 2005, was the bowler who felt the impact of Yuvraj’s powerful shot.
6. Mark Waugh – 120m
Mark Waugh, a cricketer from a family of famous Australian players, is ranked 5th on this list for hitting a six that traveled 120 meters.
He achieved this at a time when hitting boundaries was already tough, and hitting a six that far seemed almost impossible. It was fitting for someone like Waugh to accomplish something so remarkable in cricket.
In a Test match against New Zealand, Waugh hit a delivery from Daniel Vettori for a six, earning runs for Australia and breaking several records.
5. Corey Anderson – 122m
Corey Anderson recently made headlines by retiring from the New Zealand team to play for the United States in international cricket. However, on January 19, 2014, he was in the spotlight for hitting a massive six during a One Day International match against India.
By then, Anderson was known for his big sixes, so it was no surprise when he hit a delivery from Indian bowler Mohammed Shami for 122 meters.
Anderson’s performance helped New Zealand reach a total of 292 runs, which was too much for India to chase. New Zealand won the match by 24 runs, and Anderson was the standout player.
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4. Liam Livingstone – 122m
Liam Livingstone hit an enormous 122-meter six off a delivery from Haris Rauf in a T20I match against Pakistan when they were touring England. The England team was performing very well, with a net run rate over 10. Livingstone had just scored 103 from 43 balls in the previous game, but his efforts weren’t enough as Pakistan won that match.
Livingstone is one of England’s top players in T20 cricket, showing his talent with both bat and ball. After losing the first T20I, England faced Pakistan again in the second T20I at Headingley.
In this match, Livingstone was run out after scoring 38 runs from 23 balls, including three sixes and two fours. Thanks to his innings and Jos Buttler’s half-century, England scored 200 runs and restricted Pakistan to 155/9, winning the game by 45 runs and leveling the series.
3. Martin Guptill – 127m
Martin Guptill, known for his powerful hitting, made a big impression in 2012 with a massive 127-meter six. At the time, he was still establishing himself in the New Zealand team. Guptill hit this huge shot off a delivery from South African bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe in the 5th over. Tsotsobe, who was bowling, probably didn’t expect to be part of a record, especially not for giving up such a huge hit. Guptill hit the second ball of the over for a six and then made the record-breaking hit, which landed 127 meters away.
2. Brett Lee – 143m
Brett Lee, the retired Australian fast bowler with a unique name, set a record by hitting a six over 140 meters. Surprisingly, this impressive shot happened in Test cricket, not in a T20 or ODI. It was against Windies bowler Rowman Powell, and the ball sailed out of the stadium. While Lee was known for hitting big sixes and making important contributions, everyone was shocked when he hit the ball this far.
1. Shahid Afridi – 153 m
It’s not surprising that Shahid Afridi holds the record for the longest six in international cricket because his name often comes up in these records. His six off Ryan McLaren is one of the longest in cricket history due to how far it traveled.
Afridi hit a six in Johannesburg that supposedly went 153 meters, even though some people doubt this distance. In the 35th over of the run chase, McLaren bowled a length ball that Afridi powerfully hit out of the Wanderers Stadium, making it the biggest six of the match.
Afridi, a former Pakistani captain, was given a length ball by McLaren and smashed it over the stadium’s roof. He scored 88 runs off 48 balls while chasing a huge total of 344 set by the South African team. Despite his performance, Pakistan lost the match by 34 runs.
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