Cricket is a batsmen’s game; we all know that, and one of the reasons why it is called is because of the value it brings to the batters for their shots. This is more so in the case of the limited-overs format, where the game is tilted in the batter’s favour while it’s more of an even ball game in the Test format.
So in white-ball cricket, there is a need for a batter to play these boundary or high-value shots more often, as it contributes significantly to the momentum of the batting team while also adding a great deal of entertainment to the public. Also, the set batsmen are expected to score the bulk of their runs (100 or more) in boundaries as the game goes shorter.
Here we will focus on the top 10 batters who scored the most runs by fours and sixes (boundaries) in an ODI innings.
Most Runs by Boundaries in an ODI Innings (4s and 6s)
| Player | Runs in Boundaries (4+6) | Score (Balls) | 4s/6s | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma (IND) | 186 | 264 (173) | 33/9 | Sri Lanka | Eden Gardens | 13 Nov 2014 |
| Martin Guptill (NZ) | 162 | 237 (163) | 24/11 | West Indies | Wellington | 21 Mar 2015 |
| Ishan Kishan (IND) | 156 | 210 (131) | 24/10 | Bangladesh | Chattogram | 10 Dec 2022 |
| Shane Watson (AUS) | 150 | 185 (96) | 15/15 | Bangladesh | Mirpur | 11 Apr 2011 |
| Rohit Sharma (IND) | 144 | 209 (158) | 12/16 | Australia | Bengaluru | 02 Nov 2013 |
| Glenn Maxwell (AUS) | 144 | 201 (128) | 21/10 | Afghanistan | Wankhede | 07 Nov 2023 |
| Virender Sehwag (IND) | 142 | 219 (149) | 25/7 | West Indies | Indore | 08 Dec 2011 |
| Chris Gayle (WI) | 136 | 215 (147) | 10/16 | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24 Feb 2015 |
| AB de Villiers (SA) | 132 | 149 (44) | 9/16 | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18 Jan 2015 |
| Fakhar Zaman (PAK) | 132 | 193 (155) | 18/10 | South Africa | Johannesburg | 04 Apr 2021 |
Key Stats
5: Number of times Rohit Sharma has scored 100 or more runs through 4s and 6s in an ODI innings and is the only player to find a place twice in the list. This is the most by any player in ODI cricket. AB de Villiers and David Warner have done the same three times each.
186: This is the highest aggregate score accumulated through the way of boundaries (4s and 6s) in an ODI innings, and India skipper Rohit Sharma achieved it during his monumental innings of 264 at Eden Gardens against Sri Lanka.
338.63: This was AB de Villiers’ strike rate during his epic knock of 149 from a mere 44 balls at Johannesburg against the West Indies. It remains the highest-ever strike rate in an innings of 100 or more runs. The next best strike rate in a 100+ ODI knock is Corey Anderson’s 278.72, which he achieved in his knock of 131* (47) against the West Indies in Queenstown in 2014.
Also Read | Top 10: Fastest Centuries in ODIs
132: Number of runs de Villiers’ scored in boundaries during his knock of 149. Those 132 runs contribute to 88.59 percent of his knock. This is the highest percentage (88.59) of runs scored in boundaries.
17: This is the maximum number of boundary sixes hit by a batsman in a single ODI innings, and it was made by England’s Eoin Morgan during his whirlwind 148 against Afghanistan in 2019. The next highest number of sixes in an ODI innings was 16 by 4 different batters (Rohit Sharma, AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, and USA’s Jaskaran Malhotra).
33: Likewise, 33 is the most number of boundary fours hit by a batter in an innings, and Rohit Sharma is the holder of this record.
