Looking for the incredible list of most sixes by openers in ODI cricket? In the modern one-day game, a powerful start is crucial, and no statistic better highlights an opening batsman’s dominance than the sheer number of sixes they smash. It signifies aggression, fearlessness, and the ability to change the complexion of a match in a single over.
We dive deep into the archives to rank the biggest power-hitters who have opened the innings, from the earliest innovators to the contemporary T20-influenced stars. Find out who truly rules the six-hitting charts from the very first ball in the 50-overs format of the sport.
Most Sixes by Openers in ODI Cricket
| Player | Innings | 6s | Runs via 6s | Total Runs | Max 6s in an Inns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Gayle (WI) | 274 | 328 | 1968 | 10179 | 16 |
| Rohit Sharma (IND) | 187 | 321 | 1926 | 9340 | 16 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) | 383 | 263 | 1578 | 12740 | 11 |
| Martin Guptill (NZ) | 174 | 174 | 1044 | 6721 | 11 |
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 340 | 167 | 1002 | 15310 | 7 |
| Paul Stirling (IRE) | 152 | 146 | 876 | 5789 | 8 |
| Adam Gilchrist (AUS) | 259 | 144 | 864 | 9200 | 8 |
| Sourav Ganguly (IND) | 236 | 139 | 834 | 9146 | 7 |
| Shahid Afridi (PAK) | 145 | 134 | 804 | 3543 | 9 |
| David Warner (AUS) | 157 | 128 | 768 | 6888 | 9 |
| Aaron Finch (AUS) | 140 | 127 | 762 | 5386 | 7 |
| Virender Sehwag (IND) | 212 | 122 | 732 | 7518 | 7 |
| Brendon McCullum (NZ) | 107 | 121 | 726 | 3363 | 10 |
| Quinton de Kock (SA) | 152 | 117 | 702 | 6686 | 11 |
| Tamim Iqbal (BAN) | 240 | 103 | 618 | 8357 | 7 |
Key Insights on Prolific Six-Hitters in ODI Opening Partnership
ODI Openers with Most Sixes
Rohit Sharma and Chris Gayle are the only two openers who have hit more than 300 sixes in ODIs. (Find out here who holds the record for most overall sixes in ODI cricket, including the non-openers).
The highest number of sixes smashed by an opener in an ODI innings is 16, a feat jointly held by Rohit (during his 209 vs Australia, 2013) and Gayle (during his 215 vs Zimbabwe, 2015).
Gayle’s 16 sixes during his knock of 215 are the second most by a batter in an innings in the ODI World Cup. Gayle went on to score 26 sixes in that edition of World Cup in 2015 – 2nd best by a player in a single edition.
Chris Gayle has the record for smashing 10 or more sixes in four innings, the most by an opener in ODIs.
Home and Away Six-Hitting Records
Rohit Sharma is the only opening batter to score more than 150 maximums on home soil in ODIs.
Sanath Jayasuriya is the lone opener to have hit 200-plus sixes away from home, with 215 of his maximums coming out of Sri Lanka.
Concentration of Sixes in Venues and Against Opponents
Shahid Afridi has the record for the most sixes by an opener at a single venue in ODIs, with 50 of his sixes coming in 37 innings at the Sharjah Cricket Ground.
Rohit has hit the most sixes as an opener against a single ODI team, with 92 of his maximums coming against Australia.
Rohit Sharma has also hit 52 sixes against Sri Lanka, making him the only opening batter with 50-plus sixes against two opponents.
More “Rohit Sharma Stats”
Rohit Sharma Year-wise ODI Runs
Rohit Sharma ODI Runs by Batting Positions
Rohit Sharma ODI Runs vs All Teams
The Ten Highest Rohit Sharma ODI Scores
The Ten Best ODI Innings of Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma ODI World Cup – Runs and Centuries (Edition-wise)
Rohit Sharma Test Runs by Batting Position
Rohit Sharma Year-wise Test Runs
Rohit Sharma – List of Records (All Formats)
Rohit Sharma Year-wise T20I Runs
Rohit Sharma T20I Runs vs Each Country
Rohit Sharma vs Left-Arm Pacers in International Cricket
Rohit Sharma Captaincy Record – ODI, Test, T20I, & IPL
Rohit Sharma Centuries List – Test, ODI, & T20I
Top Ten Best Innings of Rohit Sharma across Formats
Sixes by Contextual Phase and Percentage
Gayle tops the chart in a bilateral series, as he sent down 39 sixes in the 2019 home series against England.
Rohit is the only opener to smash more than 100 sixes in powerplay overs in ODI cricket. He is also the only one with more than 40 maximums in death overs.
A record 22.69 per cent of Shahid Afridi’s 3543 runs have come through sixes, the highest by an opening batter in ODIs (minimum 100 sixes).
Rohit slammed 67 maximums in 2023, the most by any batter in a calendar year in ODIs. 31 of those big hits came in the 2023 World Cup, again the most by a batter in the 50-over event.
