Most Sixes in IPL History — Career, Season & Match Records

Most Sixes in IPL History — Every Record That Matters

The six is the most thrilling shot in cricket. In the IPL, where boundaries are short and batting lineups are stacked, the six has become the defining currency of the tournament. Over 17 seasons, the IPL has produced more than 15,000 sixes, and the race for the all-time six-hitting record is one of the most fascinating in the sport.

Chris Gayle stands alone at the top with 357 career sixes — a number so far ahead of the field that it may never be caught. But behind him, a generation of power hitters including AB de Villiers, Andre Russell, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli have built their own legacies by clearing the rope with extraordinary consistency.

This is the complete guide to every six-hitting record in IPL history.

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Top 15 Most Career Sixes in IPL History

These are the batsmen who have cleared the boundary most often across their entire IPL careers. The list is dominated by middle-order power hitters and explosive openers who could shift gears at will.

Rank	Player	Sixes	Matches	Innings	Runs	SR
1	Chris Gayle	357	142	141	4,965	148.96
2	AB de Villiers	251	184	170	5,162	151.68
3	MS Dhoni	243	250	216	5,243	135.20
4	Andre Russell	232	109	103	2,310	177.23
5	Rohit Sharma	227	244	238	6,211	130.50
6	Virat Kohli	224	245	237	7,263	130.02
7	Suresh Raina	203	205	193	5,528	136.73
8	David Warner	199	176	175	6,565	139.96
9	KL Rahul	195	118	114	4,683	134.57
10	Hardik Pandya	190	130	115	2,607	153.41
11	Kieron Pollard	189	189	157	3,412	147.32
12	Jos Buttler	182	82	81	3,120	150.07
13	Sunil Narine	180	160	130	2,012	162.54
14	Glenn Maxwell	178	110	104	2,567	155.45
15	Rishabh Pant	175	110	105	3,284	148.92

Gayle's 357 sixes in just 142 matches gives him an average of 2.51 sixes per match — the highest ratio among any player with 100+ IPL matches. Andre Russell's strike rate of 177.23 tells you that when he bats, he bats to hit sixes. There is no other mode.

MS Dhoni at number 3 is remarkable because many of his sixes came in high-pressure finishing situations — the last 5 overs with the match on the line. His ability to clear the boundary under pressure was unmatched for 15 years.

For the complete IPL batting leaderboard, visit our IPL records page.

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Most Sixes in a Single IPL Season

Some seasons produce a six-hitting surge, usually driven by one batsman in extraordinary form. Here are the top 15 season tallies.

Rank	Player	Sixes	Season	Matches	Runs	Team
1	Andre Russell	52	2019	14	510	KKR
2	Chris Gayle	51	2012	15	733	RCB
3	Jos Buttler	45	2022	17	863	RR
4	Abhishek Sharma	42	2024	16	484	SRH
5	Chris Gayle	38	2013	16	708	RCB
6	Travis Head	37	2024	15	567	SRH
7	AB de Villiers	37	2016	16	687	RCB
8	David Warner	37	2016	17	848	SRH
9	Virat Kohli	36	2016	16	973	RCB
10	Heinrich Klaasen	36	2024	16	479	SRH
11	Glenn Maxwell	35	2014	16	552	KXIP
12	Sunil Narine	35	2024	15	488	KKR
13	Andre Russell	34	2018	16	316	KKR
14	KL Rahul	34	2020	14	670	KXIP
15	Liam Livingstone	33	2022	14	437	PBKS

Andre Russell's 2019 season was extraordinary — 52 sixes in just 14 matches. He hit an average of 3.71 sixes per match, a ratio that is simply unheard of. Many of those came in death-overs finishes where he singlehandedly dragged KKR over the line.

The 2024 season dominates this list with four entries, reflecting the Impact Player rule that gave teams more firepower and allowed specialist hitters to bat without worry.

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Most Sixes in a Single IPL Match

Sometimes one batsman has a day where everything clears the rope. These are the most sixes by a single player in one IPL match.

Rank	Player	Sixes	Score	Balls	Match	Season
1	Chris Gayle	17	175*	66	RCB vs PWI	2013
2	Jos Buttler	16	116*	65	RR vs DC	2022
3	Chris Gayle	13	128	62	RCB vs DD	2012
4	Abhishek Sharma	12	75	28	SRH vs MI	2024
5	Andre Russell	11	88*	36	KKR vs SRH	2019
6	AB de Villiers	11	133*	59	RCB vs MI	2015
7	Chris Gayle	11	117	57	KXIP vs RR	2018
8	Sunil Narine	10	109	56	KKR vs RR	2024
9	Quinton de Kock	10	140*	70	LSG vs KKR	2022
10	Adam Gilchrist	10	109*	47	DC vs RR	2009
11	MS Dhoni	10	84*	48	CSK vs RCB	2019
12	Travis Head	10	117	53	SRH vs RCB	2024
13	Glenn Maxwell	10	104*	48	KXIP vs RR	2014
14	Kieron Pollard	10	87*	34	MI vs CSK	2021
15	Rishabh Pant	10	128*	63	DC vs SRH	2018

Gayle's 17 sixes in one innings is a record that feels untouchable. To put it in perspective, 17 sixes is 102 runs from maximums alone — more than most batsmen score in an entire T20 innings.

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Longest Sixes in IPL History

Distance matters. The longest sixes in IPL history have been measured by Hawk-Eye, and the numbers are staggering.

Rank	Player	Distance (m)	Match	Venue	Season
1	Liam Livingstone	117	PBKS vs CSK	Brabourne	2022
2	Chris Gayle	119	RCB vs KXIP	Chinnaswamy	2013
3	MS Dhoni	112	CSK vs RR	Chepauk	2019
4	Andre Russell	109	KKR vs RCB	Eden Gardens	2019
5	AB de Villiers	108	RCB vs SRH	Chinnaswamy	2016
6	Hardik Pandya	105	GT vs CSK	Ahmedabad	2023
7	Pat Cummins	107	KKR vs MI	Wankhede	2024
8	Nicholas Pooran	106	SRH vs MI	Wankhede	2021
9	David Miller	104	GT vs CSK	Ahmedabad	2022
10	Jos Buttler	104	RR vs RCB	Ahmedabad	2022

The science behind these monster sixes is simple — middle of the bat, full face, big follow-through, and a pitch that offers pace to work with. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and Chinnaswamy in Bengaluru produce the longest sixes because of their wide open stands and hard outfields.

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Six-Hitting Trends Across IPL Seasons

The IPL has seen a steady increase in sixes over the years as batting techniques, bat technology, and tactical approaches have evolved.

Season	Total Sixes	Matches	Sixes/Match
2008	400	59	6.78
2012	560	76	7.37
2016	750	60	12.50
2019	730	60	12.17
2022	890	74	12.03
2023	870	74	11.76
2024	1050	74	14.19
2025	980	74	13.24

The 2024 season set the all-time record with over 1,050 sixes. The Impact Player rule, improved batting techniques, and teams deliberately loading their batting orders all contributed.

For match-by-match fantasy analysis based on power hitting, check our Dream11 captain picks and Dream11 tips.

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Players With Most Sixes Against a Single Opponent

Some batsmen save their best for certain opponents.

Player	Opponent	Sixes	Matches
Chris Gayle	KXIP	50	18
Chris Gayle	DD	42	16
AB de Villiers	MI	38	22
MS Dhoni	RCB	35	30
Andre Russell	SRH	32	14

Gayle hit 50 sixes against Kings XI Punjab in 18 matches — that is nearly 3 sixes per match against a single opponent across his career. Punjab's bowling attacks simply had no answer for the Universe Boss.

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FAQ

Who has hit the most sixes in IPL history?

Chris Gayle holds the record with 357 career sixes in 142 IPL matches. He played for Royal Challengers Bangalore (2011-2017) and Kings XI Punjab (2018-2021). His six-hitting rate of 2.51 per match is also the highest among players with 100+ matches.

Who hit the most sixes in one IPL match?

Chris Gayle hit 17 sixes in his record-breaking 175 not out for RCB against Pune Warriors India on April 23, 2013. This remains the most sixes by any batsman in a single T20 innings anywhere in the world.

Who hit the most sixes in IPL 2024?

Abhishek Sharma of Sunrisers Hyderabad hit 42 sixes in IPL 2024, the most by any batsman that season. SRH's aggressive batting approach under the Impact Player rule gave him freedom to attack from ball one.

What is the longest six in IPL history?

The longest measured six in IPL history is approximately 119 meters, hit by Chris Gayle at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Liam Livingstone hit a 117-meter six at Brabourne Stadium in 2022 that was also among the longest measured.

Who has the best sixes-per-innings ratio in IPL?

Among players with 50+ IPL innings, Andre Russell has the best sixes-per-innings ratio at approximately 2.25. His strike rate of 177+ tells the story — when Russell bats, he bats to hit sixes.