IPL 2018: Top 10 players with most sixes in the tournament

The Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) is one of the most celebrated cricket tournaments across the globe. Fans gather to see their heroes entertain them with some scintillating display of cricket on the field. The auctions are done and dusted and the main tournament will begin from the first week of April.

Bearing in mind the demands of the format, scoring runs and finding the boundaries are paramount in order for a player to survive the rigors of the format. In our article, we take a look at an elite list of cricketers with the maximum number of sixes in the Indian Premier League.

1. Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle has arguably been among the fiercest hitters of the cricket ball. The Jamaican has enthralled the audience with his swashbuckling brand of cricket in the Indian Premier League. He has represented the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bangalore and has been integral elements of both franchises in the tournament.

Gayle has played 101 games and has smashed 265 sixes, which is recorded as the highest in the T20 league. The Universal Boss also has a strike-rate of 151.20 in the IPL which makes him a brutal force to reckon with in the shortest format of the game.

2. Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina is predominantly a middle-order batsman who prefers to take the attack to the opposition. He doesn’t allow the bowlers to bog him down and he also possesses the ability to clear the ropes. The left-hander has been a veteran in the Indian Premier League having played 161 games over the course of ten seasons.

He has racked 173 sixes in the tournament and has also scored at a strike-rate of 139.05 which manifests his big-hitting ability. The cricketer has represented the Chennai Super Kings for eight seasons. However, following CSK’s ban, he played a couple of seasons for the Gujarat Lions.

3. Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has been India’s bet with the willow at the top of the order with his masterful ability to notch runs. Apart from international cricket, the Mumbai batsman has been a stalwart with the willow in the Indian Premier League. He is currently the third highest run-scorer in the tournament after Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli.

The right-handed batsman has also smacked 172 sixes and has scored runs at a strike rate of 130.89. He commenced his IPL campaign for the Deccan Chargers and represented them till 2010. However, he was bagged by the Mumbai Indians in 2011 and has been a vital component of their setup ever since.

4. David Warner

David Warner forayed into international cricket as a batsman who preferred to smash the leather on every occasion. However, he matured with the passage of time and employed a responsible approach towards the game. He has been plying his trade in the Indian Premier League since 2009 and is currently one of the most popular cricketers doing the rounds in the event.

The New South Wales cricketer has played 114 games in which he has amassed 160 sixes at a strike rate of 142.13. He started his IPL career for the Delhi Daredevils, however, he moved to the Sunrisers Hyderabad and is currently an indispensable component of their setup.

5. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli’s prowess with the willow has been among the hottest talking points in the cricketing fraternity. The Delhi cricketer has been a brute force in the Indian Premier League having played 149 games for the Royal Challengers Bangalore ever since the inception of the tournament. As his career has progressed, he has groomed himself into one of the most reliable players of his team.

The right-hander batsman has 159 sixes in his kitty in the event and has racked runs at a strike-rate of 129.82 which manifests his stupendous skills with the willow. He is currently the solitary player in the history of the tournament who hasn’t entered the auctions.

6. AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers has carved a reputation for himself as one of the most loved cricketers across the globe. The South African player conjures roars from the audience which telecasts his admiration among fans. The Proteas cricketer made his debut in the Indian Premier League playing for the Delhi Daredevils and immediately grabbed eyeballs with his innovative display of stroke-plays.

The Pretoria-born cricketer moved to the Royal Challengers after a couple of seasons and has entertained throughout for the franchise. He has muscled 157 sixes in 129 games and scores runs at a strike-rate of 148.16 which is no mean achievement by any stretch of the imagination.

7. MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni doesn’t hail from Chennai, yet he is among the most popular figures in the metropolitan city. The Jharkhand-born cricketer has been an eminent figure in the Indian Premier League and has grown in stature as his career progressed. The cricketer has played 159 games in the tournament and has captained his teams with authority.

The wicket-keeper batsman has also notched 156 sixes in the league and has won several games for his side. He played eight straight seasons for the Chennai Super Kings. Nevertheless, following CSK’s suspension, he represented the Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

8. Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard grabbed headlines after his blistering knock against the New South Wales in the 2009 Champions League T20. Following his masterclass with the willow, he was drafted in by the Mumbai Indians and has been a vital component of the franchise for the past eight editions of the Indian Premier League. He is predominantly a middle-order batsman who has the ability to clear the ropes at will.

The Trinidadian has played 123 games for the Mukesh Ambani-owned franchise and has 147 sixes to his name. Pollard has also displayed a calm approach and has dragged his team out of precarious positions on several occasions.

9. Yusuf Pathan

Yusuf Pathan was a part of the victorious Rajasthan Royals’ squad in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League. He emerged as a fierce hitter of the cricket ball and became an overnight sensation. After playing a couple of seasons for the Royals, the Baroda cricketer shifted to the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise and played a few seasons for the Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise.

Pathan also has amassed 146 sixes in his IPL career, which shows his ability to clear the ropes at regular intervals. He has also played limited-overs cricket for India, however, he lost his place in the side owing to inconsistent performances.

10. Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh has effortlessly been one of India’s greatest all-rounders to have played the game. His six-hitting carnival at the Kingsmead in Durban against Stuart Broad is pretty afresh in the memories. However, he hasn’t quite been able to set the stage ablaze in the Indian Premier League. However, has been among the highest six-hitters in the tournament with 141 sixes in 120 games.

The Punjab cricketer has played for the Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Sunrisers Hyderabad over the course of his IPL career. At the age of 36, Yuvraj is at the twilight of his career and would wish to sign off with some useful contributions for his team.

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