It is poetic that Rohit Sharma scripted history in his usual fashion. When Marco Jansen banged in short from around the wicket, the former Indian captain stood tall and pulled it over the fine leg fielder for a maximum. It was number 352 for Rohit and he now becomes the player with the most sixes in one-day international history, going past Shahid Afridi’s long-standing mark of 351.
The Ranchi crowd in the first ODI knew what they were witnessing. His 350th six came via a thunderous slog-sweep off Prenelan Subrayen. He equalled Afridi with the very next ball. Then, moments after completing his half-century, he pulled Jansen for a record-breaking blow, a sequel after the South African quick had tormented India in the Test series. However, Jansen had the last laugh against Rohit as he trapped in front of the wicket for 57 runs. It was a beautiful innings.
Natural six-hitter Rohit Sharma
To say Rohit makes six-hitting look easy is an understatement. Hand-eye precision, a still head, and that extra fraction of a second he seems to manufacture out of nowhere make him a rare breed. His ability to pick length early and extend his arms without forcing power has fooled bowlers across eras. There are players who muscle the ball, but Rohit seems to caress it beyond the rope, like he was born to do it. In the modern era of manufactured shots and funky angles, Rohit’s clean striking still feels heartening to watch.
Rohit now owns the six-hitting crown across formats. Already the player with the most sixes in international cricket (642) and the most in T20Is (205), he continues to redefine power-hitting with grace. He has now cleared the boundary 352 times in ODIs, while also boasting 89 sixes in Tests, behind only Virender Sehwag and Rishabh Pant for India.
For perspective, Afridi smashed his 351 sixes in 369 innings with a six every 19.6 balls. Rohit has taken 269 innings to cross the mark, clearing the ropes once every 35 balls. Different styles, different eras, but the numbers show Rohit’s dominance without mindless hitting.
Players with most ODI sixes ft. Rohit
| Player | Inns | Runs | HS | SR | 100 | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | 269 | 11427 | 264 | 92.74 | 33 | 352 |
| Shahid Afridi | 369 | 8064 | 124 | 117.00 | 6 | 351 |
| Chris Gayle | 294 | 10480 | 215 | 87.19 | 25 | 331 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 433 | 13430 | 189 | 91.20 | 28 | 270 |
| MS Dhoni | 297 | 10773 | 183* | 87.56 | 10 | 229 |
| Eoin Morgan | 230 | 7701 | 148 | 91.16 | 14 | 220 |
| AB de Villiers | 218 | 9577 | 176 | 101.09 | 25 | 204 |
| Brendon McCullum | 228 | 6083 | 166 | 96.37 | 5 | 200 |
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