Sharma’s Towering Blows Knock Afridi Off His Decade-Long Throne

For ten long years, Shahid Afridi’s towering six-hitting record stood like a monument to aggression in ODI cricket. But in a landmark moment that felt both inevitable and extraordinary, Rohit Sharma finally brought that monument down. With three clean, effortless strikes against South Africa in the first ODI of the series, Rohit lifted his six tally to 353—one more than Afridi’s legendary 352.

Afridi, who retired from ODIs in 2015, built his reputation as cricket’s ultimate power-hitter. His 352 sixes, amassed across 369 innings, were a testament to fearless batting. Yet Rohit has rewritten the narrative entirely by accomplishing the feat in just 268 innings—a difference of more than a hundred outings that highlights his remarkable precision and unmatched consistency.

This moment had been building for years. With every crisp pull shot, every wristy loft over long-on, and every signature Rohit hit that sailed deep into the stands, the gap narrowed. Today, the inevitable finally arrived, and a new king of ODI sixes was crowned.

The list of cricket’s most destructive hitters forms an illustrious backdrop to this achievement. Chris Gayle holds the third position with 331 sixes, while Sanath Jayasuriya and MS Dhoni follow with 270 and 229 respectively. Among them, only Rohit continues to stride forward, bat in hand, ready to stretch his lead even further.

Rohit’s resurgence after a seven-month ODI absence has been impressive. Only recently he surged to the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings, reaffirming his dominance. Today’s record adds yet another chapter to his growing legend—one that blends elegance with brute force in a way few modern batsmen can replicate.

Rohit Sharma has not just passed Afridi—he has redefined excellence in white-ball cricket, and the world will be watching to see how far he takes this new record.

Khaborwala/SJ