'45 Special' - Chris Gayle congratulates Rohit Sharma after he breaks his record for most International sixes

In a moment that was both historic and heartwarming, the West Indies' legendary Chris Gayle, who had held the record for the most international sixes for long, extended his congratulations to Rohit Sharma on surpassing his record. He shared a picture where the two cricketing giants, clad in their iconic national jerseys bearing the number 45, shared a memorable moment together.

Rohit now boasts a staggering 556 international sixes, achieved in a mere 473 innings, compared to Gayle's 551. The southpaw, renowned for his hard-hitting prowess and camaraderie with Rohit off the field, took to the social media platform 'X' to express his admiration. With humility and sportsmanship, ‘The Universe Boss’ captioned his post, "Congrats, Most Sixes in International cricket. #45 Special."

Here's Chris Gayle's latest post on 'X':

Apart from Rohit and Gayle, no cricketer has exceeded 500 international sixes. In ODIs, The India opener ranks third with 298 sixes, following Shahid Afridi (351) and Chris Gayle (331). Among active players, England's Jos Buttler sits 12th with 165, and India's former captain, Virat Kohli, stands 19th with 142.

Rohit breaks records as he brings his 31^st ton ODIs

Breaking the shackles of convention, Rohit not only surpassed Gayle's long-held record of 553 international sixes but also eclipsed the great Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most numbers of centuries in World Cups. Sachin Tendulkar hit six World Cup centuries in as many editions, while the Rohit achieved the same feat in just three: 2015, 2019, and 2023. In the 2019 World Cup in England, the 'Hitman' also set a record by scoring five centuries in a single edition.

Meanwhile, his 131 off 84 balls against Afghanistan marked his 31st ODI century, surpassing Ricky Ponting. He is now third in the all-time most ODI centuries list, behind Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. In the same innings, he also broke Kapil Dev's record for the fastest ODI century by an Indian in World Cup history, achieving it in just 63 balls.

Also Check: List of Rohit Sharma international & IPL centuries