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Xtra Time Web Desk : When Mumbai Indians ‘Baby AB’ Dewald Brevis slammed the biggest six of IPL 2022 so far, everyone was stuck in awe. Brevis’ hit 112 m six against Punjab Kings’ Rahul Chahar at the MCA stadium in Pune. Punjab’s Liam Livingstone has hit the second biggest six of 108 m in the ongoing edition of IPL. In fact, the English cricketer has crossed the 105 m mark thrice so far in the cash rich league this season. Lucknow Super Giants’ all-rounder Marcus Stonis too hit a 104 m six. So, hitting 100 m six is quite natural in modern day cricket.

The mind set of Indian and overseas batters has changed over last few years. It’s not only about this pinch hitting anymore, IPL has completely changed the approach towards the game. Nowadays cricket is more technology driven. Be it mongoose bat used by Mathew Hayden or using chip in the bat to analysing a bowler or batsman through cricket analytic software, the game is changing every day. Now bat manufacturing companies are making light weight bats with twice power in it. This is certainly giving the edge to the power hitters in the game.

Here are a few players who has hit the largest sixes in IPL 2022:

RANK PLAYER TEAM AGAINST DISTANCE (m)

1. Dewald Brevis MI PBKS 112
2. Liam Livingstone PBKS CSK 108
3. Liam Livingstone PBKS SRH 106
4. Liam Livingstone PBKS CSK 105
5. Marcus Stoinis LSG MI 104

Talking about the all-time list of longest sixes in IPL, here are the top 5 biggest six and its hitters.

RANK PLAYER TEAM AGAINST DISTANCE (m) YEAR

1. Chris Gayle RCB PWI 119 2013
2. Ben Cutting SRH RCB 117 2016
3. Dewald Brevis MI PBKS 112 2022
4. Chris Gayle RCB PWI 112 2013
5. MS Dhoni CSK MI 112 2012
6. AB de Villiers RCB SRH 111 2016
7. MS Dhoni CSK RCB 111 2019
8. AB de Villiers RCB CSK 111 2018
9. Chris Gayle RCB PWI 111 2012
10. David Miller KXIP RCB 110 2016

Power hitting in cricket has reached a new height with the advent of T20 format. In the first edition of IPL in 2008, total 619 sixes were hit in total 59 matches. In 2018, total no of 872 sixes were hit in only 60 matches and 784 sixes were hit in 2019. Which means average no of sixes in each match has increase drastically in this format of the game and most importantly the format and the tournament has scouted some extra ordinary talent who can change the game, send the ball to the gallery very easily. Let’s consider the names of first five batsmen who has hit maximum sixes in IPL 2021. Here is the list.

Name Six Innings
KL Rahul 30 13
Rituraj Gaikwad 23 16
F du Plessis 23 16
G Maxwell 21 14
Moeen Ali 19 15

A major change in T20 cricket has been the introduction of strength and conditioning coaches. Punjab Kings has appointed Julian Wood as their power Hitting batting Consultant. Can you imagine that a team is taking the advice on power hitting? Yes, IPL has taken the game to the new height. We can surely keep our focus on this aspect of IPL, how it is changing the approach towards the game, its technicalities, fitness aspect and everything. The game has completely changed, courtesy IPL.

In terms of which cricketer has hit the most number of sixes in the history of IPL, here is the list:

357 Chris Gayle
251 AB de Villiers
227 Rohit Sharma
219 M S Dhoni
214 Keiron Pollard