Sunrisers Hyderabad's dynamic opener Abhishek Sharma scripted history on May 22, by achieving a spectacular power-hitting milestone. The 25-year-old left-handed batter became the first Indian cricketer, and only the second player globally, to blast 40 or more sixes in multiple editions of a T20 series or tournament. He achieved this historic feat during a blistering opening cameo against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL 2026 clash, where he dismantled the opposition bowling attack to smash 56 runs off a mere 22 deliveries.
Abhishek Sharma notches historic milestone against RCB
The young left-hander was in visual command during his brief stay at the crease, punishing the bowlers with four boundaries and five towering maximums. Those five clear hits over the rope proved to be the decisive factor for his statistical milestone, officially driving his total tally of sixes to 43 across 14 appearances in the ongoing IPL 2026 season.
This marks the second time the aggressive opener has crossed the 40-sixes threshold in his career, having previously achieved the feat during his breakout 2024 campaign with the Hyderabad-based franchise. During that edition, he cleared the boundary 42 times over the course of 16 matches. By repeating this explosive feat in 2026, Abhishek joins West Indian batting legend Chris Gayle as the only two players in modern cricket history to demonstrate such sustained, elite clearing power across multiple T20 tournaments.
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The legendary West Indies batsman Chris Gayle set the gold standard for power-hitting during his historic stints in franchise cricket, crossing the elusive 40-sixes threshold on four separate occasions. Representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the destructive opener hammered an incredible 59 sixes in IPL 2012, followed by 51 in IPL 2013, and 41 in IPL 2011. He later proved his overseas dominance by clearing the boundary 47 times for the Rangpur Riders during the 2017 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League.
By pushing his current tally to 43 maximums in the ongoing IPL 2026 season, Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma has officially eclipsed his own personal best. The young left-hander’s explosive form this year allowed him to surpass his previous single-season record of 42 sixes, which he had established during his breakout campaign back in 2024.
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Abhishek Sharma's batting mastery continues in IPL 2026
Despite Abhishek's remarkable consistency, he does not hold the record for the most sixes by an Indian batsman in a single T20 campaign. That distinction belongs to his teenage compatriot Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has enjoyed a sensational, boundary-filled season. The 15-year-old left-handed prodigy from Bihar has taken the tournament by storm, launching a staggering 53 sixes in just 13 matches while donning the Rajasthan Royals jersey in IPL 2026.
The young phenom now stands on the precipice of overall cricketing history as the league stage approaches its conclusion. If Sooryavanshi can manage to clear the boundary at least seven times during the Royals' final league fixture against the Mumbai Indians on Sunday, May 24, at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, he will officially break Chris Gayle's long-standing world record for the most sixes hit in a single T20 series or tournament.