The names that have hit the most sixes in IPL are truly legendary. After all, these are some of the names that have made the Indian Premier League (IPL) a crowd-puller. These are the names that have transformed the tournament into a multimillion-dollar brand. In addition to their exceptional brand value, these players have consistently demonstrated their menacing performance, snatching victory from the brink of defeat. It was their pure power that they were able to dig in, hit those scintillating maximums, and go on to win the matches for their respective franchises.
Let’s look at the diverse names who have hit the most sixes in IPL. These names range from MS Dhoni to Chris Gayle.
Most Sixes In IPL | Full List
Player | Matches | Innings | Sixes |
Chris Gayle | 142 | 141 | 357 |
Rohit Sharma | 257 | 252 | 280 |
Virat Kohli | 252 | 244 | 272 |
MS Dhoni | 264 | 229 | 252 |
AB de Villiers | 184 | 170 | 251 |
David Warner | 184 | 184 | 236 |
Kieron Pollard | 189 | 171 | 223 |
Andre Russell | 127 | 105 | 209 |
Sanju Samson | 168 | 163 | 206 |
Suresh Raina | 205 | 200 | 203 |
When it comes to the most sixes in IPL history, the award goes to West Indies’ Chris Gayle, who went on to smash 357 maximums in 142 matches. India’s Rohit Sharma is the distant second with 280 sixes, while his compatriot Virat Kohli is at number three with 272 maximums.
Most Sixes In IPL Season
From most sixes in an IPL to most sixes in an IPL season, the numbers have certainly been interesting.
Season | Player | Team | Sixes |
2011 | Chris Gayle | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 44 |
2012 | Chris Gayle | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 59 |
2013 | Chris Gayle | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 51 |
2014 | Glenn Maxwell | Kings XI Punjab | 36 |
2015 | Chris Gayle | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 38 |
2016 | Virat Kohli | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 38 |
2018 | Rishabh Pant | Delhi Daredevils | 37 |
2019 | Andre Russell | Kolkata Knight Riders | 52 |
2020 | Ishan Kishan | Mumbai Indians | 30 |
2022 | Jos Buttler | Rajasthan Royals | 45 |
2023 | Faf du Plessis | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 36 |
2024 | Abhishek Sharma | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 42 |
It was Chris Gayle who slammed 59 and 51 sixes in 2012 and the year after, respectively, hence becoming the only IPL batter to smash the most number of sixes in two successive years. Andre Russell, his compatriot, hit the most sixes in 2019, while England’s Jos Buttler and India’s Abhishek Sharma excelled at the bat in 2022 and 2024, respectively.
Most Sixes in an IPL Innings
Player | Runs | Balls | Sixes | Team | Opponent | Date |
Chris Gayle | 175* | 66 | 17 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Pune Warriors India | 23 April 2013 |
Brendon McCullum | 158* | 73 | 13 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 18 April 2008 |
AB de Villiers | 129* | 52 | 12 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Gujarat Lions | 14 May 2016 |
Chris Gayle | 117 | 57 | 12 | Kings XI Punjab | Delhi Daredevils | 19 April 2018 |
Andre Russell | 88* | 36 | 11 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Chennai Super Kings | 10 April 2018 |
Chris Gayle, the Universe Boss, once again excels with the bat, hitting the most sixes in an IPL innings. He slammed a whopping 17 sixes in a match against Pune Warriors India at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore in 2013. New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum is second on the list and is followed by the likes of AB de Villiers and Andre Russell. Interestingly, Gayle features twice in the list, showing the legend he had become at the IPL.
Most Sixes by a Team in an IPL Match
Team | Sixes | Opponent | Venue | Date |
Royal Challengers Bangalore | 21 | Pune Warriors India | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | 23 April 2013 |
Delhi Daredevils | 21 | Gujarat Lions | Feroz Shah Kotla Ground | 4 May 2017 |
Kolkata Knight Riders | 20 | Kings XI Punjab | Holkar Cricket Stadium | 12 May 2018 |
Chennai Super Kings | 20 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | 25 April 2018 |
Kings XI Punjab | 20 | Delhi Daredevils | Feroz Shah Kotla Ground | 23 April 2011 |
In collective terms, Royal Challengers Bangalore has the record for most sixes in IPL. RCB slammed 21 maximums in the match against Pune Warriors India on April 23, 2013. Delhi Daredevils had hit the exact same number of maximums, thereby sharing the top honours with RCB. Meanwhile, KKR, CSK, and Punjab came third, fourth, and fifth with a total of 20 sixes each, respectively.
Final Thoughts On Most Sixes In IPL
As can be seen from this comprehensive article, when it comes to excelling at the art of hitting sixes, players have been able to improve upon this art year after year. Take, for instance, Chris Gayle, who became an IPL legend thanks to his ability to slam sixes at will. This ability allowed him to consistently rank among the top six hitters in the IPL. These players also brought a revolution, and the team management started power-hitting at the nets, which meant a player with an average build would now be able to hit massive sixes. However, players like Gayle and Russell will always have an advantage thanks to their build size.
With the era of Gayle, McCullum, and De Villiers now getting over, fans would want youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma to continue the six-hitting spree in the upcoming season.
FAQs About Most Sixes In IPL
Chris Gayle holds the record for the most sixes in IPL history, with a total of 357 sixes.
Chris Gayle hit the most sixes in a single IPL season, with 59 sixes in 2012.
Chris Gayle holds the record for the most sixes in a single IPL innings, hitting 17 sixes during his unbeaten 175-run knock against Pune Warriors India on 23 April 2013.