Who has hit the most sixes in an IPL season?

An icon of T20 cricket heads the list of six-hitters at the world’s premier franchise tournament

Chris Gayle slammed an IPL record 59 sixes in 2012 (Getty Images)

It is now 16 years since the launch of the Indian Premier League (IPL) launched to herald a new era for cricket.

The glitz and the glamour of the franchise tournament ensured that domestic T20 cricket became big business, with the world’s best players battling it out in the Indian sun.

The 17th edition again features 10 teams duelling in a round-robin format, with the leading quartet making the playoffs and bidding to usurp the Chennai Super Kings, the defending champions.

That was a fifth title for MS Dhoni’s men, drawing level with the Mumbai Indians as the most successful side in competition history.

While Dhoni is one of a great number of domestic stars to have thrived in the IPL’s spotlight, it is an overseas superstar who heads the list of tournament six-hitters.

Chris Gayle slammed a record 59 sixes during the 2012 season for the recently re-titled Royal Challengers Bengaluru, finishing the campaign as the competition’s leading run-scorer.

The Jamaican left-hander also features twice more in the top five six-hitting IPL seasons, with his 51 sixes in 2013 and 44 in 2011 ranking third and fifth respectively.

Fellow West Indies international Andre Russell holds third place with his 52-six campaign in 2019 with the Kolkata Knight Riders, while England white-ball captain Jos Buttler cleared the ropes 45 times in 2022.

In terms of overall numbers, Gayle also tops the list. The opener has not played since 2021 but tallied a remarkable 357 maximums during his time in the IPL, nearly 100 more than the next most prolific player.

That is Rohit Sharma, who continues to open for the Mumbai Indians despite relinquishing the captaincy to Hardik Pandya. AB de Villiers, Dhoni and Virat Kohli complete a star-studded top five.