As one of the most attended cricket leagues in the world, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has played a major role in the ever-increasing popularity of the shorter format of the game. The cash-rich league has its own sort of glitz and glamor to it, and is more of a high-intensity Bollywood field that a cricket tournament.
Over the years, the IPL has seen hundreds of mammoth hits, but only a few of them went down into the record books. So, here’s a look at the top 10 longest sixes in the history of the league.
Albie Morkel, Chennai Super Kings vs Deccan Chargers, 125 meters
Coming from a cricketing family, Albie Morkel was widely known for his prowess and the level of aggression that he displayed in all three formats of the game. His high hitting ability helped him bag an IPL contract with CSK and he was an important part of their good run during the inaugural edition of the tournament.
The former CSK batsman holds the record for the longest six in IPL history and it’s unbroken even today. In a game against Deccan Chargers, Morkel smashed a ball by Pragyan Ojha that traveled a distance of a whopping 125 meters.
Speaking of IPL stats, the former South African cricketer has aggregated 974 runs in his career that spanned 91 matches. Also, the all-rounder has 85 wickets to his name that come at a decent economy rate of 8.21.
Praveen Kumar, Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians, 124 meters
Praveen Kumar personifies the typical Indian pacer whose smartness made him the ‘go-to’ for the Indian side. Praveen rose up the ranks with his 10 scalps in just 4 matches at the end of the CB trophy in Australia in 2008. His amazing performance helped him grab an IPL contract with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2010 season. Praveen was bought by Kings XI Punjab in the 2011 edition of the league.
In this instance, Praveen came to bat towards the end of the Kings XI Punjab innings and smashed a huge 124 meter six. His humongous hit in the game came against one of the best death bowlers in world cricket, Lasith Malinga. The Meerut-born managed two more sixes in the match against Shane Warne.
Praveen Kumar has represented a number of IPL franchises over the years. In 119 matches, Praveen has accounted for 90 wickets and also has 340 runs to his name.
Adam Gilchrist, Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 122 meters
Adam Gilchrist is one of the first batsmen who revolutionized the role of wicket-keeping forever. An extraordinary batsman who could destroy even the best of bowlers, Gilchrist was also known for his terrific keeping against both pace and spin. Gilchrist also shone in the Indian Premier League, as he led Deccan Chargers to the IPL title in 2009.
The former Australian batsmen also hold the record for the third-longest six in the history of the tournament. It was in a game against Royal Challengers Bangalore where Gilchrist smashed Charl Langeveldt for a huge 122-meter six. In the game, he was able to score a mammoth 106 runs in just 55 balls, helping Punjab set a 232-run total in just 20 overs.
Robin Uthappa, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, 120 meters
Hailing from Karnataka, Robin Uthappa first made rounds after a good performance in the 2005 Challengers Series. Uthappa was also a part of the Indian squad during the 2007 World Cup. However, he experienced a dip in form after the Asia Cup in 2008 and was overlooked by the selectors after the emergence of Virat Kohli.
Despite failing to deliver consistent performances in the international format, Uthappa has been a constant feature in the Indian Premier League. In a game against Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2010, Robin Uthappa hit a monstrous 120 meters six on a delivery that was bowled by Dwayne Bravo. The distance traveled by the ball was enough to bring huge cheers in the stadium.
Ross Taylor, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, 119 meters
Royal Taylor has been one of the uncelebrated heroes in international cricket of the past decade. Taylor aggregated a whopping 6000 runs in international formats of the game. Also, having featured in World Cup 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019, Ross Taylor has been one of the most consistent players in the New Zealand squad.
Besides his amazing performance in ODI and Test cricket, Ross Taylor also holds the record for hitting the highest six in IPL history. The humongous hit from Ross Taylor came in the first few games of the inaugural edition of the IPL. In a game against Chennai Super Kings, Taylor smashed a delivery by Jacob Oram that went over the mid-wicket and traveled a distance of 119 meters at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Chris Gayle, Royal Challengers Bangalore, 119 meters
Chris Gayle has been at his destructive best in the T20 format, as he holds almost every record in it, including the most runs, most hundreds, fastest hundreds, as well as the most fours and sixes. Gayle made his IPL debut with KKR in the 2008 edition of the league but failed to make much of an impact as his national side was generally touring during that period. Today, Chris Gayle holds the record for hitting 384 sixes in the league.
His highest six of 119 meters came during a clash against Pune Warriors at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. On a ball by Ali Murtaza, Gayle smashed a huge hit that went soaring in the sky and could have cleared any boundary in the world.
Yuvraj Singh, Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings, 119 meters
As one of the top match-winners in international cricket, Yuvraj Singh was a vital cog of India’s batting lineup in the past decade. Yuvraj made his IPL debut with Kings XI Punjab in 2008 and under his leadership, the Kings were able to make it to the playoffs. Although he managed just a single half-century that season, he had an impressive strike rate of 162.5.
In a game against Chennai Super Kings in the 2009 edition of the IPL, Yuvraj managed to hit a 119-meter long six over mid-wicket region to Albie Morkel. Despite his decent knock of 58 runs off 36 balls, his team lost the game by 12 runs. In 14 matches that season, Yuvraj scored 340 runs at a strike rate of 115.64.
Ben Cutting, Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 117 meters
A tall slim giant of a mid-pacer, Ben Cutting made his IPL debut with Rajasthan Royals. However, Ben didn’t get many games in the seventh edition of the league, as other bowlers were given preference over him. He was later signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he was able to meet his franchise’s expectations by delivering a match-winning performance in the final of the 2016 edition.
In this instance, Ben smashed the longest six of his IPL career during the final of the 2016 edition. It was the 19th over of the innings when Shane Watson was handed the ball to contain the batsmen. However, Cutting hit the ball in such a way that it went over the roof of the Chinnaswamy Stadium at Bengaluru and landed out of the venue. In the match, Ben managed a quick 39 off 15 balls and was awarded the player of the match title.
Gautam Gambhir, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals, 117 meters
Despite not being as gifted as some of his contemporaries, Gautam Gambhir’s will, passion, and dedication towards the sport made him one of the key assets in the Indian squad. Gambhir donned the Delhi Daredevils jersey in the initial edition of the league but went to represent Kolkata Knight Riders in 2011.
It was at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium where Gambhir smashed a 117 meter six against Rajasthan Royals in 2013. The delivery by S. Sreesanth was sent to the stands by Gambhir, and the distance traveled by the ball was enough to set the crowd in awe.
MS Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, 112 meters
MS Dhoni is one of the best entertainers when it comes to smashing the ball high. Under the leadership of Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings was the most successful team until it was banned in 2015.
It was an elimination game between arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in the 2012 season at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Here, a delivery by James Franklin was smashed in such a way by Dhoni that it traveled a distance of 112 meters.
