Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi holds the record for the most sixes in ODI cricket.

Having made his One-Day International (ODI) debut against Kenya in Nairobi in 1996, Shahid Afridi ended his illustrious career with 351 sixes in 398 matches in the 50-over format.

Flamboyant West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle features second on the list of most sixes in ODI cricket. Nicknamed "The Universe Boss", the former Caribbean cricketer smashed 331 sixes in 301 matches in One-Day Internationals.

Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma is third on the most sixes in ODI cricket list. Since making his ODI debut against Ireland in Belfast in 2007, Rohit Sharma has clobbered 323 sixes in just 263 ODIs.

Apart from Rohit Sharma, 2011 World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni (229), legendary duo of Sachin Tendulkar (195) and Sourav Ganguly (190) are the other Indian batters who feature in the top 10 list of most sixes in One-Day International cricket. 

Know the players with most sixes in ODI cricket.

Most sixes in ODI cricket

Player	Span	Matches	Innings	Sixes
Shahid Afridi (Asia/ICC/PAK)	1996-2015	398	369	351
Chris Gayle (ICC/WI)	1999-2019	301	294	331
Rohit Sharma (IND)	2007-2024	263	254	323
Sanath Jayasuriya (Asia/SL)	1989-2011	445	433	270
MS Dhoni (Asia/IND)	2004-2019	350	297	229
Eoin Morgan (ENG/IRE)	2006-2022	248	230	220
AB de Villiers (Afr/SA)	2005-2018	228	218	204
Brendon McCullum (NZ)	2002-2016	260	228	200
Sachin Tendulkar (IND)	1989-2012	463	452	195
Sourav Ganguly (Asia/IND)Â	1992-2007	311	300	190

Shahid Afridi | 351 ODI sixes

Known for his six-hitting prowess in international and domestic circuit, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi still tops the most sixes in ODI cricket list. Between 1996 and 2015, Shahid Afridi slammed 351 sixes in 398 matches in One-Day Internationals. He clobbered a total of 476 maximums in his international career.

Chris Gayle | 331 ODI sixes

Former West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle is second on the most sixes in ODI cricket list. Considered to be one of the most destructive batters of all-time, Chris Gayle smashed 331 ODI sixes in 301 matches. Gayle hit the second-most sixes in international cricket, having hammered 553 maximums in his legendary career.

Rohit Sharma | 323 ODI sixes

India’s swashbuckling opening batter Rohit Sharma holds the record for the most sixes in international cricket. Since making his international debut in 2007, Rohit Sharma has clobbered a record 612 maximums in his career at the highest level. In the 50-over format, the right-handed batter has smacked 323 ODI sixes in 263 matches. 

Sanath Jayasuriya | 270 ODI sixes

Former Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya slammed 270 sixes in ODI cricket, the fourth-most in history. Between 1989 and 2011, Sanath Jayasuriya was a consistent performer for the star-studded Sri Lanka cricket team in white-ball cricket. He clobbered a total of 352 maximums in his international career.

MS Dhoni | 229 ODI sixes

Former India cricket team captain MS Dhoni completes the top five list for most sixes in ODI cricket. Widely regarded as one of the most prolific wicket-keeper batters and captains, MS Dhoni smashed 229 ODI sixes in 350 matches between 2004 and 2019. Overall, the legendary wicketkeeper-batter recorded 359 sixes in international cricket.

Photo credit: Alamy

The record for the fastest fifty in cricket history is held by Nepal's Dipendra Singh Airee, who smashed a nine-ball half-century against Mongolia in the 2023 Asian Games. His knock helped set up a 273-run win for Nepal.

Ashutosh Sharma from Railways hit the second-fastest fifty in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023. Playing against Arunachal Pradesh, Ashutosh achieved the record in 11 balls. 

Meanwhile, the record for the third fastest fifty in cricket history by balls faced is 12 deliveries, and five cricketers have achieved the feat to date.

Among the five, Yuvraj Singh is the only Indian to feature as the quickest half-centurion in cricket history.

Here we take a look at the record batters who have scored the fastest fifty in cricket history.

Fastest fifty in cricket history

Player	Balls faced	Year	Format
Dipendra Singh Airee	9	2023	T20
Ashutosh Sharma	11	2023	T20
Yuvraj Singh	12	2007	T20
Wayne White	12	2012	First-Class
Chris Gayle	12	2016	T20
Hazratullah Zazai	12	2018	T20

Fastest fifty in First-Class cricket

Wayne White is the record holder for the fastest fifty in First-Class cricket, having hit an unbeaten 12-ball 50 against Essex in 2012.

After playing out a knock of 53 runs in 111 deliveries in the first innings of the 2012 County Championship Division 2 match, White raced to his half-century in the second innings in record time.

His knock was infused with four boundaries and four sixes as he helped Leicestershire give Essex a target of 270 runs to chase. The match was eventually drawn.

Player	Team	Opponent	Balls faced	Year
Wayne White	Leicestershire	Essex	12	2012
Michael van Vuuren	Eastern Province ‘B�/span>	Griqualand West	13	1985
Ned Eckersley	Leicestershire	Essex	14	2012
Khalil Mahmood	Gujranwala	Sargodha	15	2000
Bandeep Singh	Jammu and Kashmir	Tripura	15	2015

The same match would see Wayne White’s team-mate Ned Eckersley hit a 14-ball fifty and remain unbeaten with a 19-ball 70 alongside White.

Meanwhile, in India, Bandeep Singh scripted a historic record of his own in 2015. Representing Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy match against Tripura, Bandeep smashed a 15-ball 50 to help his side set a target of 368 to win the match.

Bandeep Singh’s knock still stands as the fastest fifty in Ranji Trophy history. To know about Ranji Trophy records, click here.

Fastest fifty in Test cricket

In the international format, former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq holds the record for the fastest fifty in Test cricket.

Misbah took a record 24 minutes to reach his Test half-century in the 2014 Pakistan vs Australia Test in Abu Dhabi and broke the previous record held by Jacques Kallis in 2009 against Zimbabwe.

Player	Team	Opponent	Balls faced	Year
Misbah-ul-Haq	Pakistan	Australia	21	2014
David Warner	Australia	Griqualand West	23	2017
Jacques Kallis	South Africa	Essex	24	2005
Shane Shillingford	West Indies	New Zealand	25	2014
Shahid Afridi	Pakistan	India	26	2005

Rishabh Pant holds the record for India with a 28-ball fifty against Sri Lanka in 2022.

Fastest fifty in List A cricket

Kaushalya Weeraratne is credited as the player to score the fastest fifty in List A cricket, with his 12-ball effort coming in a List A game for Ragama Cricket Club against Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club in the 2005 Premier Limited Over Tournament.

The Sri Lankan all-rounder remained unbeaten on 66 runs off 18 balls as his knock, which included two fours and eight sixes, propelled Ragama to 219/5. The match eventually finished without a result.

Player	Team	Opponent	Balls faced	Year
Kaushalya Weeraratne	Ragama Cricket Club	Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club	12	2005
Thisara Perera	Sri Lanka Army Sports Club	Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club	13	2021
Rory Kleinveldt	Western Province	KwaZulu-Natal	14	2011
Adam Hollioake	Surrey	Yorkshire	15	1994
Salman Butt	National Bank of Pakistan	Lahore Eagles	15	2005

Baroda’s Atit Sheth hit the fastest fifty in List A cricket during the 2020-21 Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite Group A match against Chhattisgarh. The then-25-year-old hit seven maximums in his blitzkrieg to drive Baroda to a match-winning score of 332/6.

Fastest fifty in ODIs

AB de Villiers holds the record for the fastest fifty in ODIs. The legendary South African batter took just 16 balls to reach his fifty in a 2015 ODI against West Indies and finished his innings with a 44-ball 149 at a rate of 338.63.

Player	Team	Opponent	Balls faced	Year
AB de Villiers	South Africa	West Indies	16	2015
Sanath Jayasuriya	Sri Lanka	Pakistan	17	1996
Kusal Perera	Sri Lanka	Pakistan	17	2015
Martin Guptill	New Zealand	Sri Lanka	17	2015
Liam Livingstone	England	Netherlands	17	2022

Ajit Agarkar hit the fastest fifty in ODIs for the Indian cricket team in 2000. His 21-ball fifty helped India beat Zimbabwe by 39 runs.

Fastest fifty in T20 cricket

As mentioned earlier, the fastest fifty in cricket history record belongs to Nepal's Dipendra Singh Airee after he hit a nine-ball half-century against Mongolia in the 2023 Asian Games to set up a 273-run win for his country.

Meanwhile, amongst the many accolades in his career, Yuvraj Singh is fondly remembered as the player with the third fastest fifty in T20 cricket.

The knock came against England in the 2007 T20 World Cup. Yuvraj smashed three fours and seven sixes in his 16-ball 58, and six of those came off a Stuart Broad over. This made the flamboyant Indian all-rounder the second player in international cricket and the fourth in cricket history to slam six sixes in an over.

Player	Team	Opponent	Balls faced	Year
Dipendra Singh Airee	Nepal	Mongolia	9	2023
Ashutosh Sharma	Railways	Arunachal Pradesh	11	2023
Yuvraj Singh	India	England	12	2007
Chris Gayle	Melbourne Renegades	Adelaide Strikers	12	2016
Hazratullah Zazai	Kabul Zwanan	Balkh Legends	12	2018
Marcus Trescothick	Somerset	Hampshire	13	2010

Yuvraj Singh’s feat, which is a record in the international format, would be matched by Chris Gayle (2016) and Hazratullah Zazai (2018) in 20-over franchise cricket.

While Gayle’s 12-ball fifty came in a Melbourne Renegades vs Adelaide Strikers match in the 2016 Big Bash League, Zazai achieved the feat in a 2018 Afghanistan Premier League match between Kabul Zwanan and Balkh Legends.

Featured photo: AFP / ALEXANDER JOE

Indian batting legend Virat Kohli holds the record for most centuries in ODI cricket. His 50 tons in ODIs puts him ahead of cricketing greats from previous eras like Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting.

The former Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli took 279 innings to score his 50 ODI centuries. Kohli, the fastest player to score 12,000 ODI runs, did so in the semi-final of World Cup 2023 against New Zealand. After making his debut against Sri Lanka in 2008, it took Kohli just a little over a year to get his first ODI ton. His most productive years were 2017 and 2018 as he hit six centuries each.

Previously Sachin Tendulkar held the record for most centuries in ODI cricket. The Master Blaster, as Sachin was fondly known, smashed 49 tons in the 50-overs format during his ODI career.

Tendulkar, who has scored the most runs in international cricket, made his ODI debut against Pakistan in 1989.

Despite getting his first ODI half-century in only his ninth match, it took him five years to touch the 100-run landmark in 50-over cricket. It was during the third match of the 1994 Singer World Series - played between India, Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan - that the batting great scored his first ODI ton.

Lining up against the mighty Aussies, Tendulkar scored 110 off 130 deliveries as India won the match by 31 runs. From that point onwards, there was no looking back and the rest, as they say, is history.

During his 22-year career, Tendulkar played 463 ODIs, scoring 18,426 runs. He capped off his 50-over career against the same team he played his first-ever ODI match against - Pakistan - hitting a 48-ball 52 in a six-wicket win.

The current Indian team captain Rohit Sharma is third on this list and has scored 31 tons in ODIs. His position on this list makes for an all-Indian top three of players with the most ODI tons in cricket.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has hit the fourth-most centuries in ODI cricket. The 2003 World Cup-winning captain smashed 30 centuries in 375 ODIs. Sanath Jayasuriya with 28 centuries in ODIs completes the top five list.

Most centuries in ODI cricket

Player	Team	Span	Matches	100s
Virat Kohli	India	2008-2023	291	50
Sachin Tendulkar	India	1989-2012	463	49
Rohit Sharma	India	2007-2023	260	31
Ricky Ponting	Australia	1995-2012	375	30
Sanath Jayasuriya	Sri Lanka	1989-2011	445	28

Featured photo: AFP / Munir uz Zaman

The Headingley Cricket Ground is an iconic cricket venue located in Leeds, England.

Established in 1890, the Headingley Cricket Ground is named after a suburb of the city of Leeds, and is linked to a rugby league ground. The venue has a current seating capacity of around 18,000 

It is the home ground of the England cricket team and the Yorkshire County Cricket Club at the domestic level.

The Headingley Cricket Ground staged its first One-Day International (ODI) between England and West Indies in 1973. The hosts won the nail-biting encounter by one wicket. Since then, it has hosted over 40 ODIs so far.

Let’s have a look at Headingley Cricket Ground ODI records and stats:

Headingley Cricket Ground ODI records and stats

Highest total

The England cricket team holds the record for the highest team total at the Headingley Cricket Ground in ODI cricket. During the fifth ODI of Pakistan’s tour of England in 2019, the Eoin Morgan-led hosts posted a record total of 351/9 in their 50 overs. Joe Root (84) and captain Morgan (76) slammed brilliant fifties to power England to a huge total. England later bowled out Pakistan for 297 in 46.5 overs to register a 54-run victory in Leeds.

Lowest team total

England recorded the lowest team total at the Headingley Cricket Ground in ODI format. Put in to bat, England were skittled out for 93 in 28.4 overs by arch-rivals Australia during their Prudential World Cup clash in 1975. Captain Mike Denness top-scored for England with 27. Left-arm pacer Gary Gilmour was the wrecker-in-chief for Australia as he picked six wickets for just 14 runs. Australia later chased down the required target with four wickets in hand. 

Most runs

Former England cricket team captain Eoin Morgan holds the record for the most runs at this venue in ODI cricket. Between 2010 and 2019, Morgan amassed 477 runs in nine matches at an impressive average of 59.62 and a strike rate of 93.89. He registered one hundred and four fifties at the Headingley Cricket Ground in 50-over format. Morgan’s compatriot Joe Root is second on the list with 421 runs in seven matches.

Most wickets

England cricketer Adil Rashid has claimed the most wickets at this ground in ODI format. The veteran leg-spinner has bagged 13 ODI wickets in seven matches at an average of 27.92 and an economy of 5.68. He has best bowling figures of 3/47 at this venue in 50-over cricket. Former England pacer Chris Old features second on the list with 12 wickets in five ODIs.

Highest individual score

Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya registered the highest individual score at the Headingley Cricket Ground in ODI cricket. Chasing 322 against England in 2006, Sanath Jayasuriya smashed 152 off just 99 balls to guide Sri Lanka to an eight-wicket win in the fifth ODI. Jayasuriya’s match-winning knock was laced with 20 fours and four sixes. Earlier, Marcus Trescothick’s 121 powered England to 321/7 in their 50 overs.

Best bowling figures

Legendary Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis recorded the best bowling figures at this venue in 50-over format. Waqar Younis�sensational spell of 10-0-36-7 helped Pakistan bowl out England for 156 in their NatWest Series encounter in 2001. The former right-arm pacer dismissed Marcus Trescothick, Nick Knight, captain Alec Stewart, Michael Vaughan, Owais Shah, Paul Collingwood and Dominic Cork to bundle the hosts for a low total. Pakistan won when England conceded the match in an unprecedented event.

Highest partnership

Former Sri Lankan cricketers Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya hold the record for the highest partnership at the Headingley Cricket Ground in ODI cricket. Tharanga and Jaysuriya forged a match-winning 286-run stand for the opening wicket against hosts England while chasing 322 in 2006. While Tharanga slammed 109, Jayasuriya scored 99-ball 152. Sri Lanka won the match by eight wickets.

Photo credit: Alamy

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most runs in ODI cricket. The former Indian cricket team captain tallied an impressive 18,426 runs in 463 matches during his career that spanned between 1989-2012.

Tendulkar, who also holds the record for scoring the most hundreds in the sport (100) across formats, made his ODI debut against Pakistan in December 1989. In his first two ODIs, the ‘Little Master�recorded consecutive ducks before opening his account against New Zealand in March 1990, scoring a 39-ball 36.

It took Tendulkar almost a year to score his first half-century in the One-Day International (ODI) format. During the second ODI of Sri Lanka's tour of India in December 1990, the top-order batter scored 53 runs off 41 balls as India successfully chased 230 with six wickets to spare.

Since hitting that half-century against Sri Lanka, Tendulkar became one of the greatest batsmen to have ever graced the sport. From his debut (1989) to retirement in 2012, he registered 49 tons followed by a whopping 96 fifties with his highest score being an unbeaten 200 against South Africa in 2010. 

Tendulkar ended his ODI career with an average and strike rate of 44.83 and 86.23 respectively. During this time, he hit 2016 fours - the most by any player in the format - and 195 sixes.

Meanwhile, former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara sits second on the list of the most runs in ODIs. The wicket-keeper batsman scored 14,234 runs in the format between 2000-2015. During this time, he hit 25 tons and 93 half-centuries. Ricky Ponting follows Sangakkara with 13,704 runs as Sanath Jayasuriya (13,430) and Virat Kohli (12,809) complete the top five list.

Virat Kohli has scored the most runs in ODI cricket among active players. The 34-year-old has amassed 13,024 runs in 278 matches at an average of 57.63. Kohli has the best average among players to have scored more than 2,000 career runs in the 50-over format.

Most runs in ODI cricket

Player	Team	Span	Matches	Runs	Average	High score	100s	50s
Sachin Tendulkar	India	1989-2012	463	18,426	44.83	200*	49	96
Kumar Sangakkara	Sri Lanka	2000-2015	404	14,234	41.98	169	25	93
Ricky Ponting	Australia	1995-2012	375	13,704	42.03	164	30	82
Sanath Jayasuriya	Sri Lanka	1989-2011	445	13,430	32.36	189	28	68
Virat Kohli	India	2008-2023*	278	13,024	57.63	183	47	65
Mahela Jayawardene	Sri Lanka	1998-2015	448	12,650	33.37	144	19	77
Inzamam-ul-Haq	Pakistan	1991-2007	378	11,739	39.52	137*	10	83
Jacques Kallis	South Africa	1996-2014	328	11,579	44.36	139	17	86
Sourav Ganguly	India	1992-2007	311	11,363	41.02	183	22	72
Rahul Dravid	India	1996-2011	344	10,889	39.16	153	12	83

Featured photo: AFP / Munir Uz Zaman

The Gaddafi Stadium is one of the most iconic cricket grounds located in the historical city of Lahore, Pakistan.

Previously known as Lahore Stadium, the Gaddafi Stadium was established in 1959 and designed by architect and civil engineer Nasreddin Murat-Khan. The construction of the Lahore cricket stadium was completed by Mian Abdul Khaliq and Company.

Owned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the Gaddafi Stadium is Pakistan’s fourth largest cricket stadium and currently has a seating capacity of 27,000.

Interestingly, the headquarters of the PCB is situated at Gaddafi Stadium. It is the home ground of the Pakistan national cricket team, Central Punjab cricket team and PSL franchise Lahore Qalandars.

It first staged a Test match between hosts Pakistan and Australia in 1959. In 1978, the Gaddafi Stadium hosted its first ODI played between Pakistan and England. Pakistan won the match by 36 runs. Since then, it has staged more than 50 ODIs so far.

Let’s have a look at Gaddafi Stadium ODI records and stats:

Gaddafi Stadium ODI records and stats

Highest team total

The Pakistan cricket team holds the record for the highest team total at the Gaddafi Stadium in ODI cricket. During the first ODI of the Zimbabwe tour of Pakistan in 2015, the hosts posted a mammoth total of 375/3 in their 50 overs. Shoaib Malik (112), Haris Sohail (89 not out), Azhar Ali (79) and Mohammad Hafeez (86) powered Pakistan to a huge total. In reply, Zimbabwe managed 334/5 but fell short by 41 runs in Lahore. Pakistan won the three-match ODI series 2-0.

Lowest team total

Pakistan also have the record for the lowest team total at the Gaddafi Stadium in the ODI format. Chasing 310, the hosts were bundled out for 75 in 22.5 overs during the third ODI of the Sri Lanka tour of Pakistan in 2009. Umar Gul top-scored for Pakistan with 27. For Sri Lanka, Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara bagged three wickets each. Earlier, Tillakaratne Dilshan’s 137 and Kumar Sangakkara’s fifty helped Sri Lanka score 309/5 in their 50 overs. Sri Lanka won the match by 234 runs and the three-match ODI series 2-1.

Most runs

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik holds the record for the most runs at this venue in ODI cricket. Between 2002 and 2015, the stylish right-hander accumulated 1,030 runs in 23 matches at an average of 54.21 and a strike rate of 96.26. He slammed three hundreds and six fifties in the 50-over format at this iconic ground. Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf is second on the list with 946 runs in 22 matches.

Most wickets

Legendary Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram picked up the most wickets at the Gaddafi Stadium in ODI cricket between 1985 and 2000. The former left-arm pacer bagged 23 wickets in 18 ODIs at an average of 27 and an economy of 4.43. He registered best bowling figures of 4/33 on this ground in the ODI format. Compatriot Mohammad Sami features second on the list with 19 wickets in 13 ODIs.

Highest individual score

Former Pakistan cricketer ​​Ijaz Ahmed holds the record for the highest individual score at this venue in the ODI format. During the third ODI of India’s tour of Pakistan in 1997, Ijaz Ahmed scored a match-winning knock of 139* off just 84 balls against India while chasing 217 in Lahore. ​�/strong>Ijaz’s incredible innings was laced with 10 fours and nine sixes, guiding Pakistan to an emphatic nine-wicket win. Earlier, Pakistan bowled out India for 216 in 49.2 overs. Pakistan won the series 2-1.

Best bowling figures

Former South African all-rounder Lance Klusener has the best bowling figures at the Gaddafi Stadium in ODI cricket. The right-arm medium-pacer registered impressive figures of 6 for 49 against Sri Lanka during a Quadrangular tournament in 1997. Klusener’s match-winning spell helped South Africa restrict Sri Lanka for 245/9 in the hosts�chase of 312. Earlier, South Africa rode on fifties from Gary Kirsten (50), Lance Klusener (54) and captain Hansie Cronje (50) to guide the visitors to 311/9 in their allotted 50 overs.

Highest partnership

Former Sri Lankan duo of Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva hold the record for the highest partnership at the Gaddafi Stadium in the ODI format. Chasing 281, Jayasuriya and de Silva forged an unbeaten 213-run stand for the third wicket to power Sri Lanka to an eight-wicket win during the fifth match of a Quadrangular tournament in 1997. Jayasuriya remained unbeaten on 134 and de Silva was 102 not out.  

Photo credit: Alamy