The moment finally arrived.
Rohit Sharma — the calm destroyer, the effortless hitter — has climbed to the top of ODI cricket’s most explosive list.
He now holds the record for the most sixes in ODI history, breaking Shahid Afridi’s iconic 15-year reign. And he did it in true Rohit style — clean, effortless, dominant.
But this journey wasn’t built overnight.
This is the story of how Rohit transformed his game… and the record books.
Rohit Sharma broke the record for the most sixes in ODIs (351) during the first match against South Africa in Ranchi. He overtook Shahid Afridi, who had held the record for 15 years.
A Slow Start No One Expected
Rohit didn’t start as a six machine. In fact, he barely hit any.
- His first ODI six?
It came in only his third innings. - His first ODI hundred?
By that time, he had only five sixes from over 1000 balls.
He wasn’t known for brute force.
His game was timing, touch, and elegance.
But everything changed in 2013.
2013: The Bengaluru Explosion
Against Australia in Bengaluru, Rohit unleashed something special.
He hammered 16 sixes in one innings — an ODI world record at that time.
That knock didn’t just win India the match.
It redefined Rohit Sharma.
- Before Bengaluru: 36 sixes in 102 innings
- After Bengaluru: 316 sixes in 167 innings
His six-hitting frequency skyrocketed.
From once every 102 balls to once every 27 balls.
This is where the legend was born.
Captaincy Turned Him Into a Monster
When Rohit became India’s full-time captain, his six-hitting evolved again.
- 107 sixes in just 46 innings
- A jaw-dropping ratio of one six every 17.6 balls
- More sixes as ODI captain than almost anyone — only Eoin Morgan is ahead
He became fearless.
He became unstoppable.
He became the face of modern ODI batting.
Rohit’s Record-Breaking Dominance
Rohit doesn’t just hold the world record.
He dominates every six-hitting category:
- Most sixes vs one team: 93 vs Australia
- Most sixes in a country: 182 in India
- Most in a single year: 67 in 2023
- Most in ODI World Cups: 54 (including a record-breaking 31 in 2023)
And he hits them everywhere — especially his trademark pull shot.
- 123 sixes off fast bowlers using the pull/hook
- 188 sixes into the midwicket & square-leg arc
- Spinners, pacers, doesn’t matter — he destroys both
No bowler has been spared.
From Maxwell to Starc, from Shadab to Cummins, Rohit has cleared them all.
The 352nd Six: A New Era Begins
Marco Jansen became the unlucky bowler to concede Rohit’s record-breaking 352nd six.
With that swing of the bat, Rohit ended:
- Afridi’s 5641-day reign
- The second-longest six-hitting record streak ever
- A chapter of ODI cricket history
And opened a new one.
Can Anyone Catch Rohit?
Realistically?
No.
Among today’s active players:
- Jos Buttler has 182 sixes
- Virat Kohli has 159
Both are past 35.
Both are nowhere near Rohit’s pace.
The only young player remotely in the race?
Rahmanullah Gurbaz with 70 sixes.
At this rate, Rohit could become:
⭐ The first player ever to hit 400 ODI sixes.
And even if he stops playing tomorrow, his record might stand for decades.
Rohit Sharma Isn’t Just a Batter. He’s a Revolution.
From a quiet boy with timing…
To the most ruthless six-hitter the ODI game has ever seen…
Rohit Sharma has changed cricket.
Not with noise.
Not with aggression.
But with pure, effortless, beautiful hitting.
And today, the cricket world finally salutes him as the undisputed King of Sixes.
