Top Ten Batsmen With Best Six/Balls Ratio in ODI Cricket (Min 100 odi sixes)

Six-Hitting ability is an important aspect for a batsman in modern-day cricket. The power to clear the ground at any stage of the game is considered as one of the foremost metrics of limited-overs cricket. Be it straight over the bowler or a top-edge over the Wicket-keeper, scoring a sixer can change the face of the game.

Meanwhile, with a paradigm shift in cricket in favour of the batsman and since the inception of T20 cricket, batters have started playing shots since the start of the match and hitting six is not a big deal now. The short grounds have also come in favour of the batsmen. Over the years, we have witnessed the batters taking centre stage and dispatching the bowlers for six and have done it consistently over the years.

On that context, let us take a look at the top ten batsmen with best six / balls ratio in ODI cricket (min 100 ODI sixes):

Also read: ICC World Cup 2019: My Sixes Are Better Than Andre Russell – Chris Gayle

10 – Martin Guptill – 45.15 balls

Martin Guptill is one of the best openers to have represented New Zealand in the ODIs. His swashbuckling form at the top of the batting-order has helped the Black Caps for a significant period.

Meanwhile, the Kiwi batsman holds an excellent record of hitting towering sixes and dispatching any bowling attack. Guptill has struck an over-boundary in every 45.15 balls which takes him to the tenth place in the list of top ten batsmen with best six / balls ratio in ODI cricket.

9 – Rohit Sharma – 42.26 balls

Rohit Sharma’s sublime cover drives and hitting the ball over the long off and on fielders is a treat to watch for the cricket lovers. When on song, the Mumbai batsman is the best in the business and is the only batsman to score three double centuries in ODI cricket.

Rohit, who has been at the helm of India’s top-order for quite a few years now, has an excellent hitting ratio and finds himself in the ninth spot with every six in 42.26 balls. He is the only India to feature in the list of top ten.

8 – Chris Cairns – 38.39 balls

Chris Cairns is one of the illustrated all-rounders to have graced the New Zealand Cricket Team. He was a solid middle order batter who can also bowl medium pace and pick crucial wickets.

During his career with the Kiwi side, Cairns was one of the biggest hitters who used on the stable starts provided by the openers to post big totals. His 153 ODI sixes have come at a rate of 38.39 balls per six which is the seventh best in the history of ODI cricket.

7 – Eoin Morgan – 38.16 balls

Eoin Morgan has been responsible for a transition shift in England cricket since their ouster from the group stages in the 2015 ICC World Cup. He has led the team from the front and has been a force to reckon with in the middle order.

Amidst all the hard-hitters in England, Morgan has made a name for himself for hitting the ball clean and hard against all the odds. The Middlesex batsman has a good record of hitting sixes in every 38.16 balls which is the eighth-best since the inception of ODI cricket.

6 – Chris Gayle – 36.31 balls

Hailing from Windies, very few can hit the ball as hard as Chris Gayle does. The Universe Boss (331) has hit the most sixes for Windies and find himself the in the second spot among most sixes hit in ODI cricket after Shahid Afridi.

The 39-year-old Gayle has the record of hitting a six in every 36.31 balls, which is the sixth-best overall. The southpaw’s six-hitting spree makes him one of the dangerous batsmen in the circuit.

5 – Wasim Akram – 34.77 balls

While Wasim Akram is one of the greatest exponents of reverse swing bowling, very few know about his exploits with the bat. The former Pakistan skipper was a very handy customer in the lower-order and had the ability to hit the ball miles.

Akram has a healthy six hitting ratio which finds himself the fifth spot with every six in 34.77 balls in ODI cricket.

4 – Brendon McCullum – 31.57 balls

Brendon McCullum is one of the fiercest hitters of the cricket ball; the game has ever seen. He has led New Zealand from the front for several years be with his acrobatic wicket-keeping skills or his batting. McCullum is also a role model for many of the current Kiwi players which speak volumes about his ability.

The former Black Caps cricketer is the fifth highest run-scorer for New Zealand in ODI cricket; however, he has hit the most sixes for them. McCullum finds himself in fourth place in the list of six hitting ratios with a six in every 31.57 balls.

3 – Jos Buttler – 25.65 balls

Jos Buttler has taken the England batting to a whole new level and has revamped their middle-order with his aggressive display of batting

Arguably Buttler is the best hitter of the cricket ball in current England set-up. In 142 ODIs, the wicket-keeper batsman has struck 125 sixes which has come at a rate of 25.65 balls per six. He is currently in the third spot in the list of top ten batsmen with best six / balls ratio in ODI cricket.

2 – Kieron Pollard – 22.4 balls

Windies Cricket Team have produced outstanding attacking players since the inception of limited-overs cricket. Among all, all-rounder Keiron Pollard has been the standout who has the best six hitting ratios in ODI cricket.

Pollard has mastered the art of hitting sixes playing T20 leagues all over the world. The all-rounder who has only played 101 ODIs for Windies, has hit sixes per 22.4 balls – the second best in the history of ODI cricket.

1 – Shahid Afridi – 19.63 balls

Shahid Afridi has been arguably the greatest hitter of the cricket ball. He can clear any grounds all over the globe and was a nightmare to all the bowlers during his career. Afridi played one of the greatest knocks in ODI cricket when he scored a 37-ball 100 against Pakistan.

The former Pakistan all-rounder has the best six-hitting ratio in world cricket. He has struck sixes every 19.63 balls throughout his career the best in the history of ODI cricket. Afridi (351) also has the record of most number of sixes in ODI cricket to his name.

(All Stats Updated Till 15th August, 2019)