Top 10 longest sixes in International Cricket

Cricket has over the years been regarded as a gentleman’s game, where finesse and technique are at the epitome when it comes to the batsmen. Technically gifted and crafty players have been held in high regards and there have been many instances where six-hitting has been attributed to an act of exhibition of brute force by a player. While it does take some arm strength to hit the ball into the stands, it is a combination of power, technique and timing that takes a hit from being just another six to become a shot that is remembered for years to come. In a game of cricket, as important it is to take singles, rotate the strike and make sure that the scoreboard keeps ticking, sometimes it is that one six that differentiates between the team that ends up on the winning side and the one that loses. And, there are only a select few players who have the capability to hit the ball sailing into the stands for a memorable maximum at will. So, here we will have a look at the 10 such players whose hits surpassed every other ever in the history of international cricket in terms of the distance it travelled Here is the list of 10 longest sixes in international cricket History: 10. Chris Gayle - West Indies vs India, 2010 T20I – 116 m Chris Gayle, T20 cricket and sixes are three words that have been synonymous to each other since the day the ‘Universe Boss’ has set foot on the field in a T20 match. And, while famous for his exploits in franchise cricket among the fans, Gayle has also served the West Indies team well in T20 Internationals in time that he spent with them. It was during the World T20 game of his team against India that Gayle decided to take the ball for a toss and hit delivery by Yusuf Pathan for a distance that was recorded to be 116 metres. Gayle would have wanted to hit the ball even further and it would be of no surprise to anyone if he does the next time he takes the field with the bat in hand in a game of international cricket. 9. Shahid Afridi - Pakistan vs Australia, 2005 ODI- 117 m There’s a reason that Shahid Afridi’s six-hitting abilities are held in such high regard by fans of cricket all across the board. And, this time for his second entry, Afridi is in with a 117 metre six that he hit against the Australian bowlers in 2005. During that inning of Pakistan, Afridi hit many balls that flew over the boundary rope for a six but only one delivery was such that it travelled that long-distance and ended up bringing Afridi’s name in the record books for the second time. All hell broke loose on the Australian bowlers when Afridi came on to bat in that match, as it seemed there was no force that could stop him from hitting boundaries for fun. In that match, the most memorable thing that came was this inning by Afridi and more importantly the six that shot him into every discussion in the cricketing circles for days to come. 8. MS Dhoni- India vs New Zealand, 2009 ODI- 118 m The most successful captain in the history of cricket in terms of winning ICC tournaments across versions, MS Dhoni, who for the most part of his career was the chase master of the Indian team and had the ability to hit sixes effortlessly. He once hit a 118 metre six. And, that is what brings his name into this list at the 8th spot. Dhoni’s short arm jabs were a delight to watch when he was in his prime and this ball too was a short-arm jab on the last ball of the 44th over of the Indian innings in an ODI against New Zealand. Once the ball took off from Dhoni’s bat, it did not stop before it landed into the crowd in the middle of the spectators for a maximum. He would always be hailed as one of the best finishers in the world of international cricket. 7. Yuvraj Singh- India vs Australia, 2007 T20I- 119 m Another name in this list, just like Afridi, Yuvraj Singh’s six-hitting ability in white-ball cricket earned him a name that still stands tall in the record and history books of cricket. He is placed at the 7th spot in this list. This entry of his is due to a shot that he hit during a World T20 match against Australia in the year 2007. Playing one of his most memorable innings , Yuvraj launched a full-blown assault on the Aussie bowlers and no one was left untouched by the wrath of this left-handed craftsmanship with the willow in hand. And, the bowler of this ball that travelled a distance of 119 metres was Brett Lee, who himself is an entrant in this list for having hit a longer six. Lee had hit that six two years ago in 2005 and got a taste of his own medicine when he was hit by Yuvraj for a record-breaking six. 6. Mark Waugh- Australia vs New Zealand, 1997 Test- 120 m Mark Waugh, a cricketer coming from a long line of legendary players from Australia with the same blood flowing through their veins, is the entrant in this list at the 5th position, for having hit a six that travelled a total distance of 120 metres. And, he did this at a time when hitting boundaries in itself was not an easy task and hitting a six that far was literally beyond imagination for many. But, it would not have been fair for anyone else than a Waugh to do something in world cricket at that time which was beyond belief. Mark Waugh while batting for his team in a Test match against their neighbours, the New Zealand cricket team, hit a Daniel Vettori delivery for a six that ended up not only fetching runs for Australia but also shattering many records. 5. Corey Anderson- New Zealand vs India, 2014 ODI- 122 m Corey Anderson recently swept the headlines for having chosen to retire from the New Zealand team and moving on to play for the United States of America in international cricket. But, on the 19th of January in 2014, he was in the talks for having hit a huge six while batting in a One Day International match against India. Corey Anderson by the time this match was played had a name for hitting big sixes and it was no surprise to anyone when he hit delivery by Mohammed Shami, the now ace Indian pacer for a distance that was recorded to be 122 metres. It was Anderson’s inning in that game that got New Zealand to a total of 292 runs, which happened to be too steep a target for India to chase and the Kiwis walked back with a 24 run win, the crowned hero of which was Corey Anderson. 4. Liam Livingstone, England (vs Pakistan, T20I, 2021)- 122 mts Liam Livingstone hit a humungous 122 meter six off Haris Rauf's delivery in a T20I game against Pakistan when the Men in Green toured England. The hosts had been batting brilliantly, at a NRR of over 10 and Livingstone was coming off a 43-ball 103 from the previous game but his knock went in vain as Pakistan clinched a victory. One of England's top players in shorter-format cricket, Liam Livingstone has frequently shown off his exceptional talent both with the bat and the ball and has proved to be a strong all-rounder. After losing the first T20I, England and Pakistan locked horns in the second T20I at Headingly. Livingstone was eventually run out after scoring a quick 23-ball 38, including three sixes and two fours. Thanks to his knock and Jos Buttler's half-century, England posted a total of 200 runs, and later restricted Pakistan to 155/9 to win the game by 45 runs and level the series. 3. Martin Guptill, New Zealand (vs South Africa, T20I, 2012)- 127 m One of the most fierce hitters of the cricket ball to have played for New Zealand in the recent years, Martin Guptill showed his batting prowess in its truest sense and his mastery in white-ball cricket when he hit a 127 metre six way back in the year 2012. That too at a time when he was still building a place for himself in the Kiwi squad. Guptill hit this mammoth shot off the delivery of the Protean pacer, Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Bowling in the 5th over of the New Zealand inning, Tsotsobe had no idea that he would soon find himself a part of a record, be it on the wrong side from his perspective. Guptill hit the second ball of the over for a six and followed it up with an even bigger hit. And, it was this shot that landed at a distance of 127 metres and got its name registered in the record books. 2. Brett Lee, Australia (vs West Indies, 2005 Test) – 143 m One of the more unusual names on this list, Brett Lee, the now-retired ace fast bowler from Australia, holds the record of also hitting the ball past the 140-metre mark for a maximum. To add to this is the fact that contrary to what the fans might guess. this six came in the longest format of the sport and not a T20 International or One Day International. In this instance, it was the Windies pacer Rowman Powell who was at the receiving end of the serving from Lee that crossed the boundary rope over the walls of the stadium. Brett Lee had built a name for himself over the years for having the ability to tonk the odd ball into the stands and playing crucial cameos for his team, but it came as a real surprise to everyone when ‘Binga’ smashed the ball this far. 1. Shahid Afridi, Pakistan (vs South Africa, 2013, ODI) – 153 m It should come as no surprise that Shahid Afridi owns the record for the longest six hit in international cricket because his name consistently ranks at the top of lists like these. Because of the distance it travelled, the six he hit off Ryan McLaren is one of the longest sixes in cricket history. Shahid Afridi managed to record a six in Johannesburg that travelled 153 metres, despite the fact that many claim it did not go that far. In the 35th over of the run chase, McLaren bowled a length ball, which Afridi viciously smashed out of the Wanderers for the largest six of the entire game. Former Pakistani captain Afridi was thrown a length ball by McLaren, and he smashed it over the stadium's roof. Afridi, who formerly held the record for the quickest ODI century, hammered 88 runs in just 48 balls while chasthe South African cricket team's enormous 344 total. However, Pakistan lost the game by 34 runs.

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Top 10 longest sixes in International Cricket

The world of international cricket has witnessed some gigantic sixes over the years.

8. MS Dhoni- India vs New Zealand, 2009 ODI- 118 m

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