IPL 2024: Abhishek Sharma Eclipses Virat Kohli & Rishabh Pant For Most Sixes by an Indian in Single IPL Season

Sunrisers Hyderabad all-rounder Abhishek Sharma on Sunday (May 19) eclipses Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant's tally for most sixes by an Indian in single IPL season during the 4-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in IPL 2024 match 69.

Chasing 215, Abhishek set the tone for SRH with a quickfire 66 off 28 balls, smashing 6 maximums during the knock which proved pivotal in the run chase at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

With the result, SRH moved to second spot and at the end of the day remained there due to better Net Run Rate (NRR) compared to Rajasthan Royals, whose final league stage match was abandoned due to rain against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Sharma's 6 sixes took to the summit for most sixes in the ongoing season, surpassing Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Kohli and Nicholas Pooran of Lucknow Super Giants. With 41 sixes so far, Abhishek Sharma is also leading six-hitter in a single season by an Indian player.

The 23-year-old star from Punjab and his team SRH have taken six-hitting to a different level this season. While he currently leads the sixes chart for the season, SRH lead the sixes chart by a team in IPL history with 160 sixes in 13 matches.

Most Sixes in a Single IPL Season: SRH & RCB Cross This Extraordinary Landmark of Maximums by a Team in 2024

His feat has seen him go past Kohli's tally in 2016 and Delhi Capitals' Pant, who had smashed the most sixes by an Indian in 2018 season. Here is a look at the Indian players with most sixes in a single season of IPL:

Most sixes by an Indian in single IPL season

1. Abhishek Sharma (SRH) - 41 sixes in 13 innings (2024)
2. Virat Kohli (RCB) - 38 sixes in 16 innings (2016)
3. Rishabh Pant (DC) - 37 sixes in 14 innings (2018)
4. Virat Kohli (RCB) - 37 sixes in 14 innings (2024)
5. Shivam Dube (CSK) - 35 sixes in 16 innings (2023)
6. Ambati Rayudu (CSK) - 34 sixes in 16 innings (2018)
7. Shubman Gill (GT) - 33 sixes in 17 innings (2023)
8. KL Rahul (PBKS) - 32 sixes in 14 innings (2018)
9. Riyan Parag (RR) - 31 sixes in 13 innings (2024)
10. Rajat Patidar (RCB) - 31 sixes in 14 innings (2024)

This is the first time an Indian player has crossed 40 sixes in a season. And Abhishek could be joined by Kohli soon as he is just 4 big hits away from crossing the landmark, but may get only one match to achieve that feat.

Although Abhishek Sharma has created the record for an Indian player with most sixes in a season, he is still a fair distance away from the overall record held by legendary Chris Gayle, who smashed 59 sixes in the 2012 season.

Most Sixes by a Team in IPL 2024 After SRH Beat PBKS to Seal Second Spot on May 19

Gayle also hit the 50 sixes mark in the 2013 season, while his compatriot Andre Russell, who currently plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders, had also hit 50 plus sixes in a single season, making the Caribbean duo the only players to achieve the feat.

With at least two more matches left to play, Abhishek Sharma is in line to become the fourth player to reach the unique feat as SRH face KKR in the Qualifier 1 on Tuesday (May 21) in Ahmedabad.