With a week of action left in the IPL 2026 season, the 19th edition of the tournament is on the cusp of erasing all previous records in terms of six-hitting in the league. In only 67 matches this season, a staggering 1290 maximums have flown off the bats, a six every 11.6 deliveries.
The six-hitting rate has bettered the 2025 season where a whopping 1294 sixes were hit in 73 matches with a six every 12.76 deliveries. With the Impact Sub rule ushering in a new era since 2023, batting strike rates have skyrocketed every year. The overall batting strike rate of a season crossed the 140 mark for the first time in 2023 where 1124 sixes were hit. In 2024, the strike rate vaulted past 150 for the first time with 1260 sixes, taking 14 balls per maximum.
Within three seasons, the batters have gained almost three more deliveries per every strike over the fence. During the Lucknow Super Giants versus Punjab Kings contest in Lucknow on Saturday, the six-hitting scales will be rewritten in all likelihood, standing just five shy of a fresh record.
A significant attribute in this regard has been the frenetic batting gains in the Powerplay (overs 1-6) this year, with batting units getting faster than ever before. The average runs per over in the Powerplay nudged 9.5 for the first time in an IPL season, bettering 2025 (9.08 rpo). The rise can be directly connected the rapidly surging six-hitting frequency per innings (3.14), up from 2.51 from last season.
Powerplay six-hitting frequency since 2023
| Year | M | R | Runs/Inn | Runs/Over | Sixes/Inn | Fours/Inn |
| 2026 | 67 | 7,585 | 57.03 | 9.5 | 3.14 | 6.42 |
| 2025 | 73 | 7,887 | 54.39 | 9.08 | 2.51 | 6.44 |
| 2024 | 71 | 7,632 | 53.75 | 8.92 | 2.32 | 6.69 |
| 2023 | 74 | 7,294 | 49.62 | 8.22 | 1.67 | 6.51 |
Most sixes in an IPL season
| Season | Mat | SR | 6s |
| season 2025 | 73 | 152.39 | 1294 |
| season 2026 | 67 | 155.87 | 1290 |
| season 2024 | 72 | 150.58 | 1260 |
| season 2023 | 74 | 141.71 | 1124 |
| season 2022 | 74 | 133.94 | 1062 |
| season 2018 | 60 | 137.92 | 872 |
| season 2019 | 60 | 133.65 | 784 |
| season 2020 | 60 | 131.63 | 734 |
| season 2012 | 75 | 123.46 | 731 |
| season 2014 | 60 | 129.04 | 714 |
| season 2017 | 59 | 133.35 | 705 |
| season 2015 | 59 | 131.97 | 692 |
| season 2021 | 60 | 126.97 | 687 |
| season 2013 | 76 | 121.23 | 672 |
| season 2011 | 73 | 120.71 | 639 |
| season 2016 | 60 | 131.42 | 638 |
| season 2008 | 58 | 128.98 | 622 |
| season 2010 | 60 | 126.76 | 585 |
| season 2009 | 57 | 116.61 | 506 |
On the individual front, Rajasthan Royals’ teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has set new benchmarks for six-hitting in the league. Not only did he smack 12 sixes in an innings to set a new Indian record, Sooryavanshi (53) also became the fastest batter to smash 50 sixes in a season, while standing only second to Gayle (59) for most sixes struck in an edition with at least a game to spare.
