Abhishek Sharma has broken the record for hitting the most number of T20I sixes in a calendar year for a full-member nation.
The Indian opener smacked his 69th maximum of 2026 against the West Indies in Hyderabad during the fourth T20I on Wednesday, going past former skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s record of 68, set in 2022.
It took him 15 balls and the ninth over, a long time by his standards, to hit the maximum on Wednesday. Initially, his partner Sanju Samson was in such good knick that he hoarded the strike, and post-powerplay, West Indies did well to restrict Abhishek to a strike rate of under 100.
He finally got one away against Shamar Springer, coming down the track and hitting it over the ropes.
Most sixes in a calendar year (full-member nations)
| Player | Country | Year | Matches | Sixes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abhishek Sharma | India | 2026 | 33* | 69* |
| Suryakumar Yadav | India | 2022 | 31 | 68 |
| Abhishek Sharma | India | 2025 | 21 | 54 |
| Ishan Kishan | India | 2026 | 33 | 52 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | India | 2023 | 18 | 43 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan | 2021 | 29 | 42 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | 2021 | 18 | 41 |
| Tanzid Hasan | Bangladesh | 2025 | 27 | 41 |
| Rovman Powell | West Indies | 2022 | 22 | 39 |
| Nicholas Pooran | West Indies | 2024 | 21 | 39 |
It has been a topsy-turvy, but an overall brilliant year for Abhishek. He began it by scoring 84 off 35 balls against New Zealand in Nagpur, which included eight sixes, before smashing an unbeaten 68 off just 20 deliveries, with five sixes, in Guwahati. However, a string of low scores, including four ducks in his first eight innings, interrupted his momentum.
He bounced back with a 55 against Zimbabwe and a 52 against New Zealand, striking four and three sixes respectively, before mixed returns during the England tour. His most destructive spell came against Afghanistan in September, when he struck seven sixes in an 82 off 32 balls, followed by four in a 39 off 19. He then produced a sensational 108 off 34 balls, clearing the boundary 11 times.
Abhishek continued the assault with seven sixes against Pakistan and Sri Lanka combined, before striking five against West Indies in Indore. Even in his unbeaten 23 in Hyderabad on Wednesday, he added another six to his tally.
