There is no better feeling than smashing plenty of sixes against the run of play and mounting pressure on the opposition. When a batsman hits a six, it gives him the additional surge and confidence to score maximums for the team when it matters the most. Moreover, it gives the batting team a cutting edge in terms of posting the humongous total on the board as well.
When a batsman hits a six, the bowler will be under searing pressure as he will look for alternative options to make a comeback. However, it is important for the batsman to decode the challenges and keep mounting pressure on the bowler such that there is a possibility of scoring more runs on the board.
During the World Cups, the bowlers come prepared with all sorts of challenges. As a result, the batsmen need to be absolutely spot on in terms of their shot selection to play all kinds of shots they need to. In this article, let’s learn more about the names of the five players who struck the most sixes in a World Cup innings.
1. Eoin Morgan
Former England captain Eoin Morgan etched his name into the record books when he smacked the most sixes in a World Cup innings. He smashed as many as 17 sixes against the Afghanistan cricket team at Manchester in the 2019 edition of the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup. It was under his captaincy, that England defeated New Zealand in Super Over based on the boundary count rule to win the maiden ICC ODI World Cup.
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2. Chris Gayle
The cricket fraternity is well aware of the fact that Christopher Henry Gayle is known for his aggressive and fearless approach against the run of play. The experienced campaigner has a remarkable ability to score runs at a rate of knots and has a reputation for hammering massive sixes. He comes second on the list as he hit 16 sixes against Zimbabwe in Canberra in the 2015 ODI World Cup wherein he hit a double century.
3. Martin Guptill
New Zealand’s most experienced campaigner, Martin Guptill is known for his aggressive strokeplay, capable of taking the bowling attack to the cleaners, especially in the powerplay overs. He comes third on the list as he smacked as many as 11 sixes against the West Indies cricket team in Wellington in the 2015 ODI World Cup. Notably, he scored a double-century in that game.
4. Fakhar Zaman
Pakistan international Fakhar Zaman has continued to be a key member of the Pakistan national cricket team in recent years. His significant batting performance came in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final, where he scored a century against India, garnering 114 off 106, in what turned out to be a match-winning century as he helped the Green Shirts win the coveted title. He smacked 11 sixes against New Zealand in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Notably, he scored a match-winning century.
5. Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell etched his name into record books when he smacked the double century against Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup, which is the highest individual score in the run-chase in the history of ODIs. During his stay at the crease, he smashed 21 fours and 10 sixes and helped the Aussies pull off a sensational win.
Updated as of November 8, 2023.
