Powerplay in T20I cricket is considered the launchpad for a batting innings. And it is an important phase in terms of building momentum for the entire innings.
The batting team will always want their openers to provide them with positive and blazing starts by taking advantage of the fielding restrictions. A solid start in the powerplays makes life much easier for the batters coming down the order.
So, one of the things a team will look for is an opener who has the natural capability to hit sixes regularly and keep the scoreboard moving. One way to do this is by striking sixes, and here we will see the top 10 batters with the most sixes in powerplays in T20Is.
Most Sixes by a Batter in Powerplay in T20I
| Player | Team | Innings | 6s in Powerplays | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | India | 128 | 94 | 133.22 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | 95 | 71 | 125.77 |
| Quinton de Kock | South Africa | 93 | 70 | 143.32 |
| Evin Lewis | West Indies | 63 | 68 | 143.50 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Afghanistan | 74 | 58 | 128.50 |
| Jos Buttler | England | 78 | 57 | 153.72 |
| Muhammad Waseem | UAE | 45 | 55 | 152.03 |
| Finn Allen | New Zealand | 52 | 53 | 153.03 |
| Aaron Finch | Australia | 94 | 51 | 136.95 |
| Jason Roy | England | 64 | 49 | 134.69 |
Key Insights on T20I Powerplay Six-Hitting Records
Individual and Team Records for T20I Sixes in Powerplays
India’s fiery opener Rohit Sharma has hit the most sixes in the powerplay overs in T20I cricket. He smashed 94 of his overall 205 maximums in powerplays through the course of his illustrious career. He is, obviously, among the top six hitters in this format.
Rohit is also the top run-scorer in this phase, with 2141 runs in 128 innings to his name.
UAE’s Muhammad Waseem is the lone associate batter with more than 50 sixes in the powerplay phase in T20Is.
The West Indies are the only team to smash more than 450 sixes in the powerplay phase in T20Is.
Rohit, Babar Azam (Pakistan), and Quinton de Kock (South Africa) have scored 200 or more fours in the powerplay in T20Is.
Elite Company for Consistency and Striking Power
Phil Salt (England), Jos Buttler (England), Finn Allen (New Zealand), and Muhammad Waseem (UAE) are the four batters with 150-plus strike rates in powerplays in T20Is (minimum 500 balls faced).
UAE’s Waseem is the lone batter to average above 60 in T20I cricket (minimum 40 innings batted).
Powerplay Domination in a T20I Innings
Turkey’s Muhammad Fahad has whacked the most sixes in the powerplay in a single T20I innings. He hit 10 maximums against Bulgaria while scoring 93 runs in the powerplay at a staggering strike rate of 387.50.
Fahad’s 93 runs and the strike rate of 387.50 are also the highest by a batter in the first six overs in a single T20I innings. Overall, he scored 120 runs in the innings, crossing the hundred mark in 29 balls to make it the second-fastest T20I century.
Fahad’s knock led to Turkey posting up the joint second-highest team total in the powerplay (113/0) and the highest team total in the first 10 overs (167/1) in a T20I innings.
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