Nothing in cricket is arguably more exhilarating than listening to the crowd roar when a batsman hammers the ball out of the park.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) too has seen many power-hitters over the years, who have made hitting sixes seem trivial.
Ahead of the 14th edition of the tournament, Sportstar takes a look at the top 10 players who have hit the most number of maximums across all seasons.
1. Chris Gayle
Even for someone who isn't an avid follower of the league, this should come as no surprise.
Gayle is not known for deft singles or his running between the wickets. He believes in going big. The flamboyant Jamaican has tonked 349 humongous sixes in 132 matches.
He also holds the record for most sixes in an innings when he smashed 17 sixes against the now-defunct Pune Warriors India in 2013.
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2. AB de Villiers
Wouldn’t it be strange if ‘Mr. 360’ didn't feature on this elite list?
Notwithstanding the length of the ground, de Villiers can tackle anything when he is on the groove. He is second on this list with 235 sixes in 169 matches.
3. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Dhoni possesses the ability to single-handedly dismantle bowling attacks.
The former India captain, who is known to be one of the best finishers of the game, famously won his side the 2011 World Cup by hitting a six. He has whipped 216 sixes in 204 matches.
4. Rohit Sharma
One of India’s most-gifted batsmen, Rohit is very hard to stop once he manages to settle down. He is the most successful IPL captain with four titles and his aggressive style is perfect for the shorter format of the game. He has notched up 213 sixes in 200 matches in his overall IPL career.
5. Virat Kohli
It is difficult to keep the current Indian skipper out of any batting leaderboard.
'Run machine' Kohli has, over the years, cemented his place as one of IPL's finest and has slammed a total of 201 sixes off 192 matches.
6. Kieron Pollard
Pollard has stuck with Mumbai Indians through its highs and lows. A muscular player, Pollard is a fiery hard-hitter. Recently, the Trinidadian became only the second player after India's Yuvraj Singh to hit six sixes in an over in a T20I match against Sri Lanka leg-spinner Akila Dananjaya.
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In his overall IPL career, Pollard has hit 198 sixes in 164 matches. He is, additionally, an excellent fielder in the deep.
7. David Warner
Warner is one of the most destructive openers in the IPL.
It is always advisable to get the burly Australian dismissed as soon as possible for once he is set, the sight of the ball disappearing over the fence becomes common.
Despite being an excellent runner between the wickets, Warner never shies away from punching a biggie. In his 142 IPL matches, Warner has hit 195 sixes.
8. Suresh Raina
Raina became the first batsman in IPL history to cross 2,000 and 5,000 runs. Always a dependable figure, he has played countless important knocks for the Chennai Super Kings.
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In his overall IPL career, Raina has hit 194 sixes in 193 matches.
9. Shane Watson
Watson is an asset for any team owing to his all-round capabilities.
A batsman with an attacking style of play, Watson is known to hit the ball pretty long. In his 145 IPL matches, he has 194 sixes in his kitty.
10. Robin Uthappa
A vital cog in KKR’s wheel when it clinched the title in 2012 and 2014, Uthappa is a proven match-winner and known for his consistency.
The veteran wicketkeeper-batsman has 163 sixes from 189 matches.