Top 5 six-hitters in ODIs in a calendar year ft. Rohit Sharma

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma etched himself into the record books in the ongoing ICC men's ODI World Cup 2023 match between India and the Netherlands.

Rohit, who made his 55th ODI half-century at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, became the batter with the most ODI sixes in a single calendar year.

In the seventh over bowled by Colin Ackermann, Rohit hit a massive 92-meter six over long-on, which made the record to his name. The 36-year-old looked in supreme touch right from the word go.

He hammered the Dutch bowlers for fun and gave India a rapid start. Alongside Shubman Gill (51 off 32), Rohit added 100 runs for the opening wicket in just 71 balls.

Rohit (61 off 54) was set for a big score on Sunday but holed out while hitting another boundary in the 18th over. While Rohit couldn't bat for as long as fans would've liked, he certainly made the significant six-hitting record to his name.

On that note, let's take a look at the top five batters with the most number of ODI sixes in a calendar year in more detail.

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#5 Muhammad Waseem (UAE) - 47 sixes in 2023

Muhammad Waseem for UAE [Getty Images]

Current United Arab Emirates (UAE) skipper Muhammad Waseem features on the list. The right-handed opener is one of the most fearsome strikers among associate nation players.

Despite making his debut only last year, Waseem has struck a total of 62 ODI sixes. Interestingly, 47 of those maximums have come in 2023.

He has played 24 ODIs so far this year and has scored 782 runs with the help of 67 fours and 47 sixes. Unfortunately for him, he won't be able to add to those numbers as the UAE doesn't have any ODIs scheduled for the remaining part of the year as of yet.

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#4 Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) - 48 sixes in 2002

Shahid Afridi during India v Pakistan - 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup [Getty Images]

Perhaps Pakistan's all-time greatest hard-hitter, Shahid Afridi, could change the course of the game within a few moments.

Since his debut in 1996, Afridi went on to hit 476 maximums in the 508 innings he featured in across formats. In ODIs, Afridi hit 351 maximums in 369 innings, which is the most by any batter in the format's history.

However, in 2002, the world saw an exhilarating version of him. He hit a total of 48 ODI sixes across 36 games for Pakistan. During his knock of 108* off 92 against New Zealand in Sharjah, Afridi hit eight sixes in April 2002.

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#3 Chris Gayle (West Indies) - 56 sixes in 2019

Chris Gayle during his last ODI vs India in 2019 [Getty Images]

Unsurprisingly, the Universe Boss from Jamaica, Chris Gayle, also features on this list. The powerful left-handed batter clobbered sixes for fun and had world-class hand-eye coordination, which helped him time the ball perfectly.

With 331 ODI sixes, Gayle has struck the second-most maximums in the format. He played his last ODI game in 2019, a year which proved to be extremely proficient for him.

Gayle played 15 ODI innings in 2019 and clobbered a handsome 56 sixes at a rate of 3.73 sixes per innings. He struck 14 maximums en route to his heroic 162 off 97 balls in an ODI against England in Grenada.

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#2 AB de Villiers (South Africa) - 58 sixes in 2015

AB de Villiers playing the scoop shot vs West Indies [Getty Images]

One of the most innovative, talented and spirited individuals to ever play the game, AB de Villiers, gave fans some of the most thrilling performances throughout his career.

The original '360 degree' player from Pretoria smashed bowlers to all parts of the ground without breaking a sweat. The South African legend has 328 sixes under his belt in his international career.

However, in 2015, De Villiers dished out a breathtaking season, where he clobbered 63 sixes across formats, the most by any non-Indian batter in a calendar year.

Fifty-eight of De Villiers' 63 sixes in 2015 came in ODIs. He accumulated 1,173 runs at an immaculate average of 79.53 across 18 ODI innings in that year. The year also includes his famous 31-ball century against the West Indies, where he smacked 16 sixes alone.

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#1 Rohit Sharma (India) - 60* sixes in 2023

Rohit Sharma during the 2023 ODI World Cup vs Netherlands [Getty Images]

As mentioned earlier, Rohit Sharma is now the holder of the record for hitting the most number of ODI sixes in a calendar year. He struck two maximums in the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup game against the Netherlands, which took his tally to 60.

Having batted 24 times in ODIs this year so far, Rohit has plummeted 1,161 runs at an average of 52.77 at an impressive strike rate of 114.72.

Rohit, who is gifted with immaculate timing, has made a conscious effort to give India rapid starts in white-ball matches. His selfless batting has seen him hit two or more sixes in 17 of his 24 ODI innings so far this year.

Having said that, the next two fixtures will be Rohit's most crucial ODI matches of his career. India would hope that the talismanic skipper continues his red-hot form with the bat and guides the nation to its third ODI World Cup title on November 19.