IND VS SA: Rohit Sharma Breaks Shahid Afridi’s ODI Sixes Record with 352nd Six
It felt truly poetic the way Rohit Sharma created history, just the way he always does. Marco Jansen bowled a short ball from around the wicket, and Rohit calmly stood tall and pulled it over fine leg for a six.
That shot was his 352nd six in ODI cricket, helping him break Shahid Afridi’s long-standing record of 351. Now, Rohit Sharma has hit the most sixes in one-day internationals. The Ranchi crowd in the first ODI knew what they were witnessing. His 350th six came via a thunderous slog-sweep off Prenelan Subrayen.
He equalled Afridi with the very next ball. Then, moments after completing his half-century, he pulled Jansen for a record-breaking blow, a sequel after the South African quick had tormented India in the Test series. However, Jansen had the last laugh against Rohit as he trapped in front of the wicket for 57 runs. It was a beautiful innings.
Rohit Sharma Breaks ODI Sixes Record
Rohit Sharma makes hitting sixes look effortless. His sharp eyes, steady head, and the extra moment he somehow creates before playing a shot make him truly special. He reads the ball early and swings his arms smoothly, without trying too hard, and bowlers from every era have struggled against this.
Some players hit the ball with pure strength, but Rohit sends it over the boundary with a gentle, natural touch, as if he was born to do it. In today’s cricket, where many shots look unusual or forced, Rohit’s clean and simple hitting still feels wonderful to watch. Rohit now owns the six-hitting crown across formats. Already the player with the most sixes in international cricket (642) and the most in T20Is (205), he continues to redefine power-hitting with grace.
He has now cleared the boundary 352 times in ODIs, while also boasting 89 sixes in Tests, behind only Virender Sehwag and Rishabh Pant for India. For context, Afridi hit 351 sixes in 369 innings, which means he hit a six every 19.6 balls. Rohit crossed that number in just 269 innings, hitting a six every 35 balls. Their styles and eras are different, but these numbers show that Rohit has been dominant without needing to swing wildly.
Most Sixes in ODIs
| Player | Mat | Inns | Sixes | Fours | Runs | Ave | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | 277 | 269 | 352 | 1071 | 11427 | 49.25 | 92.74 |
| Shahid Afridi | 398 | 369 | 351 | 730 | 8064 | 23.57 | 117 |
| Chris Gayle | 301 | 294 | 331 | 1128 | 10480 | 37.83 | 87.19 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 445 | 433 | 270 | 1500 | 13430 | 32.36 | 91.20 |
| MS Dhoni | 350 | 297 | 229 | 826 | 10773 | 50.57 | 87.56 |
Most Sixes in an ODI Innings
| Player | Opponent | Sixes | Runs | Balls | SR | Venue, Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eoin Morgan (ENG) | Afghanistan | 17 | 148 | 71 | 208.45 | Manchester, 2019 |
| Rohit Sharma (IND) | Australia | 16 | 209 | 158 | 132.27 | Bengaluru, 2013 |
| AB de Villiers (SA) | West Indies | 16 | 149 | 44 | 338.63 | Johannesburg, 2015 |
| Chris Gayle (WI) | Zimbabwe | 16 | 215 | 147 | 146.25 | Canberra, 2015 |
| Jaskaran Malhotra (USA) | P.N.G. | 16 | 173* | 124 | 139.51 | Al Amerat, 2021 |
Rohit Sharma – ODI Sixes Wagon Wheel (vs Pace + Spin)
| Zone | Sixes | Sixes % |
|---|---|---|
| Fine Leg | 17 | 4.82% |
| Backward Square Leg | 67 | 19.03% |
| Forward Square Leg | 126 | 35.79% |
| Mid-on | 54 | 15.34% |
| Mid-off | 64 | 18.18% |
| Covers | 18 | 5.11% |
| Backward Point | 3 | 0.85% |
| Fine Third-man | 3 | 0.85% |