Who hit the Longest Six in Cricket History Ever?

Shahid Afridi, popularly known as ‘Boom Boom Afridi’, holds the record for hitting the longest six in cricket history. In 2013, during a match against South Africa, Afridi hit an incredible 153-meter six, which remains unbeatable to this day. His ability to cover such distances perfectly matches his aggressive playing style.

Afridi is joined by Brett Lee and Martin Guptill in the list of players who have hit the biggest sixes ever. Although Lee is known for his fast bowling, his strength allows him to loft the ball for long sixes. Guptill, on the other hand, is a naturally aggressive batsman who regularly puts pressure on bowlers with his powerful strike.

While modern cricketers are adept at crossing boundaries, only a few have managed to hit the longest sixes in history. These huge shots not only score six runs but also serve to intimidate the opposition, establishing control over the game.

Top 10 Biggest Six in International Cricket History

SN	Player	Team	Opposition	Distance (in meters)	Year	Tournament/ Series	Ground
1	Shahid Afridi	Pakistan	South Africa	153 m	2013	Pakistan tour of South Africa	Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
2	Brett Lee	Australia	West Indies	143 m	2005	West Indies tour of Australia	Brisbane Stadium
3	Martin Guptill	New Zealand	South Africa	127 m	2012	South Africa tour of New Zealand	Sky Stadium, Wellington
4	Liam Livingstone	England	Pakistan	122 m	2021	Pakistan tour of England	Headingley, Leeds
5	Corey Anderson	New Zealand	India	122 m	2014	India tour of New Zealand	Sky Stadium, Wellington
6	Mark Waugh	Australia	New Zealand	120 m	1997	New Zealand tour of Australia	W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth
7	Yuvraj Singh	India	Australia	119 m	2007	ICC World Twenty20, 2007	Kingsmead, Durban
8	MS Dhoni	India	New Zealand	118 m	2009	India tour of New Zealand	Sky Stadium, Wellington
9	Shahid Afridi	Pakistan	Australia	118 m	2005	VB Series	Sydney Cricket Ground
10	Chris Gayle	West Indies	India	116 m	2010	ICC World Twenty20	Kensington Oval, Bridgetown

1. Shahid Afridi (153 meters)

Arguably the most powerful cricketer from Asia, Shahid Afridi ranks first on the list for the longest six in cricket history. Afridi smashed a six against South Africa which distanced 153 meters. The maximum was hit in the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, and not just cleared the boundary but also was smashed out of the stadium. 

For Afridi, hitting sixes was natural. He is one of the best six-hitters in the history of cricket. The Pakistani all-rounder has smashed 476 sixes in International cricket and has the third-most sixes after Rohit Sharma and Chris Gayle.

2. Brett Lee (143 meters)

Lee only has 57 sixes in International cricket but a few of them were hit with brutal force. The right-arm bowler was a strong player which helped him not only bowl at speeds of 160 kmph but also hit sixes in the stands and sometimes out of the stadium.

Brett Lee is one of the surprising names on this list. While Lee is almost omnipresent in every bowling record list particularly those related to speed. The Australian speedster ranks second on the list for the longest six in cricket history. Lee smashed a 143-meter six against the West Indies in 2005. He smashed his six at the iconic Gabba Stadium in Brisbane that landed outside. 

3. Martin Guptill (127 meters)

Martin Guptill’s striking ability was often overshadowed by his opening partner, Brendon McCullum. However, Guptill in his day could prove to be a damaging force for the opposition something he proved in the 2015 ODI World Cup against the West Indies by smashing a double century. 

Guptill ranks third on the list of the longest six in cricket history with a six distancing 127 meters. The right-handed batter smashed a 127-meter six against South Africa in 2012. While the Kiwi opener struggled to make an impact in test cricket, he was dominant in white-ball cricket, especially in ODIs. Guptill’s huge six came at New Zealand’s Sky Stadium in Wellington.

4. Liam Livingstone (122 meters)

Liam Livingstone is one of the modern cricketers who specializes in six-hitting. Livingstone is often picked in his national team or T20 franchises all over the world for his striking ability. There have been multiple pieces of evidence where Livingstone has repaid the faith shown in him with his power-hitting. 

The English all-rounder smashed a 122-meter six against Pakistan at the Headingley stadium in Leeds. He has 88 sixes in International cricket but has smashed more than 400 sixes in T20 cricket. 

5. Corey Anderson (122 meters)

Corey Anderson might not be as famous as some other players on the list but the all-rounder for a year held the famous record for smashing the fastest century in ODIs. The former Kiwi all-rounder represents the USA currently. However, in 2014 while playing for the island nation, Anderson smashed a six distancing 122 meters against India at Sky Stadium in Wellington. 

The maximum came in test cricket which is possibly the weakest format for Anderson. While he was not able to prolong his career playing for New Zealand he has been at the forefront of USA’s introduction to Incricket and was part of the team that progressed to the Super Eight in T20 World Cup 2024 where they were the joint hosts with the West Indies.

6. Mark Waugh (120 meters)

Mark Waugh was one of the best batters of his generation. What did not work in his favor was that he was surrounded by batters including the likes of his twin brother Steve, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, and others. 

Mark was part of the Australian team that dominated the sport for a very long time in almost every condition. He smashed a 120-meter six to rank sixth on the list for the longest six in cricket history. Mark achieved the feat against Trans-Tasman rivals, New Zealand in 1997.

7. Yuvraj Singh (119 meters)

Famously known for his six sixes where he lit up the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, Yuvraj Singh is placed in the seventh position on this list. In spite of smashing the fastest half-century of the format by a full-member nation, it was in the semi-final against Australia, that Yuvraj showed his hard-hitting prowess. 

In the semi-final against Australia, India were considered to be underdogs. Yuvraj proved to be the match-winner with his knock of 70 runs in 30 balls hitting five sixes. He smashed a 119-meter six at Kingsmead in Durban against Andrew Symonds. He was one of the players who played T20 cricket prioritising playing with high-risk high-reward shots.

8. MS Dhoni (118 meters)

The best finisher batter to play for India, MS Dhoni could hit the best bowlers in death overs with ease. His trademark shot known as the ‘Helicopter Shot’ is an efficient and effective shot to hit a six on difficult lengths like yorkers aimed at the toes of the batters. 

Dhoni’s immense power came from his upper body strength which helped him hit a 118-meter six against New Zealand. In spite of playing lower down the order, Dhoni has hit more than 350 sixes in International cricket. His finishing skills are appreciated a lot, especially in the shorter format which is proven by his participation in the Indian Premier League at the age of 43 years. 

9. Shahid Afridi (118 meters)

Shahid Afridi is the only cricketer to appear twice in the list of the top 10 cricketers who have hit the longest six in cricket history. It speaks about the strength that the Pakistani all-rounder possessed that he was able to hit long sixes more consistently than other players. In a country that had been renowned for fast bowlers and great stroke makers, Afridi was a breath of fresh air with his sixes. 

Boom Boom hit a 118-meter six in the VB Series (Victoria Bitter) against Australia in 2005. While the six was not as big as his monstrous 153-meter one that came against South Africa it was still long enough to land outside of the Sydney Cricket Ground.

10. Chris Gayle (116 meters)

It would be unimaginable to think about a list of the longest sixes and not mention the name of Chris Gayle. The left-handed opener has made a reputation for being a massive six-hitter. ‘The Universe Boss’ as his nickname suggests has conquered many great bowlers from all around the world in different T20 leagues. 

Gayle, in spite of being known as a prolific T20 batter, had a great International career playing for the West Indies. In 483 International matches, Gayle hit 553 sixes. With the volume of sixes he has hit it was always going to be possible that he would hit one of the longest sixes in cricket history. The Jamaican batter smashed a 116-meter six against India in World Twenty20 in 2010. It was a typical knock from the opener where he scored 98 runs missing his century by two runs in just 66 balls hitting seven sixes in the innings.

Notable Players Known to Hitting Long Sixes

In the history of cricket, there have been many powerful hitters including the likes of Viv Richards who played at a time when sixes weren’t as common as they are today. However, since the inception of T20 cricket and the modernization of the game overall, there have been a plethora of players who have made hitting long sixes their USP (Unique Selling Proposition). 

1. Shahid Afridi is one of the most notable players to hit long sixes. The Pakistani batter holds the record for hitting the most sixes for the country in ODIs where he leads the second-placed, Inzamam-ul-Haq by more than 200 sixes. 
2. Brendon McCullum is one of the players who might not appear on the list for hitting the top 10 longest sixes in cricket history but is a player who could hit huge sixes on his day. He was responsible for winning many matches for his country and has also changed the style of batting in test cricket as a coach.
3. Jos Buttler, the English white-ball team skipper is one of the most prolific batters in modern times. Buttler is considered to be one of the best white-ball English players if not the best. He has many shots in his arsenal that he can use to whack the ball a long way into the stands and sometimes even out of the stadium.
4. Sanath Jayasuriya is possibly the strongest batter from Sri Lanka. Jayasuriya was one of the pillars on which Sri Lanka’s dominance was built in the 1990s and 2000s. Even though for a long period of time he was looked at as a bowler who could bat a bit, however, he proved many people wrong with his batting skills where he could hit sixes for fun.
5. Rohit Sharma might not be the most technically correct player from India, a country that has produced the most gifted batters. However, there is no doubt that the Indian skipper is the best six-hitter in the country. Rohit has a great pull and hook shot that even though results sometimes in his dismissals can be used to hit a ball a long way.

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