5 players who have hit more than 15 sixes in one T20 innings

T20 cricket has always been kind to the hard-hitting players who can clear the boundaries at will irrespective of the pitch conditions and the pace of the ball. Over the years, the T20 teams have focused to build a team of big hitters rather than going for the technically sound batsmen.

This is the principal reason why the likes of Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite, Kieron Pollard, and several other hard hitters have dominated this format. Speaking of the T20 format, there have been many instances where a player single-handedly powered his team to a big score and since playing aggressively is a pre-requisite for this format, many batsmen have managed to hit more than ten sixes in a single T20 innings.

But, there have been only five players who have slammed over 15 maximums in the same knock and here’s a list of them.

---

#5 Hazratullah Zazai - 16 sixes

Hazratullah Zazai is one of the best Afghan players right now

Afghanistan’s top-order batsman Hazratullah Zazai holds the record for hitting the maximum number of sixes in a single T20I innings. No other batsman has hit more 14 sixes in a T20 international game while Zazai whacked 16 sixes playing for Afghanistan in a bilateral series match against Ireland.

Also see – MI team

Playing in Dehradun, the Blue Tigers batted first as Zazai opened the innings with Usman Ghani. The duo added 236 runs for the first wicket as they blew away the opposition bowlers with their batting performances. Hazratullah played the role of the aggressor in this partnership as he touched the triple figures before the opening stand ended.

Even after his partner departed, Zazai continued his onslaught against the Irish bowlers as he remained unbeaten on 162 when the innings ended. He struck 11 fours and 16 sixes to guide his team to an 84-run victory.

#4 Dasun Shanaka - 16 sixes

Dasun Shanaka is a big-hitting all-rounder

Sri Lankan player, Dasun Shanaka, is the national record holder for hitting the most number of sixes in a single T20 innings. Shanaka achieved this feat playing for the Sinhalese Sports Club against Saracens Sports Club in a group stage match of the AIA Premier T20 Tournament 2016.

Shanaka was the captain of his team and elected to bat first, having won the toss. The Sinhalese team got off to a splendid start as they were 58/2 when the skipper came out to bat. Dasun showed no relent to the opposition bowlers then as he whacked 16 sixes on the road to his 123(46). He had a strike rate of 267.39 in that inning where he hit only two fours. Co-incidentally, Saracens Sports Club lost that game by 123 runs.

---

#3 Graham Napier - 16 sixes

Graham Napier was the first batsman to hit more than 15 sixes in a T20 innings

Essex’s domestic cricket star, Graham Napier, became the first batsman to hit 16 sixes in a single T20 innings when he decimated the Sussex bowlers in a South Division match of the Twenty20 Cup in 2008. Napier came out to bat at number three after his team lost their captain Mark Pettini cheaply.

Napier took little time to get settled in the middle as he destroyed the opposition bowling attack, which had the likes of Dwayne Smith, Michael Yardy, and Rory Hamilton-Brown. The Essex-born player remained not out on 152 off 58 balls when the first innings culminated. He hit ten fours and 16 sixes in his incredible knock, which ultimately inspired his team to a win by 128 runs.

#2 Chris Gayle - 18 sixes

Chris Gayle has done this thing twice

The Universe Boss, Chris Gayle, has ruled T20 cricket with his big hitting skills and he is the only player in the history of this format to hit more than 15 maximums in two different innings. He first achieved this record while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in a league match of IPL 2013 against Pune Warriors India. Gayle tormented the Pune-based franchise with 13 fours and 17 sixes to register the highest score in IPL history.

Four years later, he broke his own record by slamming 18 sixes in the final match of the Bangladesh Premier League. Playing for Rangpur Riders, Gayle brought his experience to the fore as he played an innings of 146 runs in the grand finale against Dhaka Dynamites. He took the likes of Kieron Pollard, Mosaddek Hossain, Khaled Ahmed, and Abu Hider to the cleaners as Riders won that match quite comfortably.

---

#1 Hardik Pandya - 20 sixes

Hardik Pandya is gearing up for his international return

Baroda-born all-rounder Hardik Pandya shattered all the records during his innings of 158 runs for Reliance One in the recently concluded DY Patil T20 Cup. Pandya, who had been away from the competitive cricket world for a while, made a triumphant return to the field with two centuries in that tournament.

He played the best knock of his career against the BPCL team as he hit 20 sixes and six fours to single-handedly win the match for his team. The right-handed batsman registered the highest individual score by an Indian player in T20 cricket and also became the first batsman to hit 20 sixes in a T20 game.