India opener Rohit Sharma on Sunday etched his name further into cricket history by surpassing Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi to become the leading six-hitter in One-Day International (ODI) cricket. Rohit now holds the record with 352 sixes, breaking Afridi’s long-standing mark of 351.
The milestone came during the first ODI against South Africa here, as Rohit arrived at the crease with 349 sixes in his career, just two shy of Afridi. In the 15th over, he sent South African spinner Prenelan Subrayen’s deliveries soaring over deep midwicket to equal Afridi’s tally. He then cleared a pull off Marco Hansen over deep square leg to officially claim the record for the most sixes in ODI history, and notably, in the fewest innings.
The 38-year-old right-hander celebrated the landmark shortly after completing his 60th ODI half-century. He eventually fell for 57 off 50 balls, striking five fours and three sixes, leaving fans and teammates in awe of his consistency and power-hitting prowess.
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Rohit’s achievement is particularly significant given Afridi’s record had stood for nearly a decade. The Pakistani all-rounder smashed his 351 sixes across 398 ODI matches from 1996 to 2015, earning the nickname “Boom Boom Afridi” for his aggressive style. Rohit, on the other hand, reached 352 sixes in only 270 innings in his 278th ODI for India, debuting in 2007, underscoring his extraordinary efficiency in achieving the feat.
Throughout his career, Rohit has been celebrated for his ability to combine elegance with destructive hitting. Known for his penchant for long, effortless sixes, he has often turned matches around with quick-fire innings. Earlier this year, he led India to the Champions Trophy title and remains a cornerstone of India’s ODI batting line-up despite scaling back participation in T20 internationals.
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