Virat Kohli's fortunes as Team India's ODI skipper hang pretty much in the balance as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to name the squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa. The 33-year-old has performed well in bilateral tournaments but has strained a bit in the ICC tournaments.

Recently, the veteran batter stepped down as the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Team India's T20I team. Virat Kohli's run as the skipper of the T20I side didn't end on an auspicious note as the Men in Blue crashed out of the T20 World Cup 2021 before the semis. Virat Kohli also didn't lead in India's opening Test against New Zealand. However, he is set to play the Mumbai Test starting on December 3.

Read Also: IND vs SA 2021: Priority for the series to happen. But player safety is important says, BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal

For the upcoming series, the Chetan Sharma-led selection panel was set to meet after India's Kanpur Test against the Black Caps. However, the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 led to its delay. Earlier, it was learned that the BCCI was waiting for a green signal from the government for the tour.

The players, who aren't a part of the series against the Kiwis, were asked to go into quarantine in Mumbai. Now as per reports, the Indian board would name the squads irrespective of whether the tour gets underway or not.

BCCI to keep the squad 'selected and ready'

"The Indian squad will be announced in the next few days' time. We will have everything ready from our end and then wait for the government's nod. If the government tells us to abort the trip, then we would. But we need to keep the squad selected and ready," a senior BCCI official was quoted as saying in The Times of India on Wednesday, December 1.

Also Read: IND vs NZ Test series: Full preview, probable teams, pitch report, and more

There's also a possibility of the three-match Test series being curtailed to two games for the COVID-19 pandemic. As of now, Johannesburg, Centurion, and Cape Town are the hosts for the red-ball matches.

"We will know in a few days' time if the series would become a two-Test affair rather than three. But there have been some back-and-forth discussions," a local commentator told on air on YouTube during India A's match against South Africa A in Bloemfontein.

The Three-match Test series between India and South Africa is set to start on December 17.

The 18th season of the IPL will begin from March 22 and once again a fierce battle between bat and ball will be witnessed in this league. Everyone's eyes will be on who hits the most sixes this season, but let us tell you about which batsman has hit the most sixes in the last 17 seasons of IPL so far.

There have been many great batsmen in the IPL who have hit a lot of sixes so far. There are some batsmen who are no longer a part of this league and some are playing in it and they can go higher in this list.

Also Read: Most runs in IPL since 2018

Let's talk about the top 10 batsmen who have hit the most sixes in IPL so far, which also includes many Indians.

Most Sixes in IPL | Top 10 List

10. Suresh Raina | 203

Mr. IPL, Suresh Raina grabs the tenth position in this elite list. The southpaw has 203 sixes in 200 IPL innings. He takes around 19.91 deliveries for every six.

He is only among ten batters to hit 200+ maximums in the league. Raina has accumulated 5528 runs at an average of 32.51 and a strike rate of 136.73. He also has 39 fifties and a century in the league.

9. Sanju Samson | 206

The captain of Rajasthan Royals (RR), Sanju Samson is the ninth batter to find a spot in this list. He has 206 six in 163 IPL innings. On average, he hits a six every 15.43 balls in the league.

Overall, Samson has 4419 runs at an average of 30.68 and a strike rate of 138.96. He also has 25 fifties and three centuries. Samson will also step up to this list and add more to his tally in the upcoming edition.

8. Andre Russell | 209

Among the most fearsome batters in the history of the league, Andre Russell’s name is no surprise. Russell’s association with six-hitting is well known. He has amassed 209 maximums at an unbelievable 6.79 balls-per-maximum ratio.

The Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder has 2484 runs at an average of 29.22 and a strike rate of 174.92 in 105 IPL innings. He also has 11 fifties to his name.

Russell had even hit 11 sixes during 2018 in an innings against Chennai Super Kings.

7. Kieron Pollard | 223

Kieron Pollard, a powerhouse in the middle order for Mumbai Indians, comes seventh in this list with 223 sixes. The former West Indies all-rounder played several memorable knocks for the Mumbai Indians in the 189 matches that he played for them.

Pollard was known for depositing the ball back into the stands and did so quite frequently in the league. His ability to change the course of a game in a few overs has made him one of the most dangerous finishers in IPL history.

He has 3412 runs at an average of 28.67 and a strike rate of 147.32. Further, Pollard has also hit 16 fifties in the league. 

6. David Warner | 236

David Warner has hit 236 sixes in his IPL career. The former Australia batter has played a total of 184 matches in IPL, featuring for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals.

Warner has a terrific record in the league and was known for hitting big shots throughout his successful career in the league. His aggressive start at the top often sets the tone for his team's innings.

Warner has scored 6565 runs at an average of 40.52 and a strike rate of 139.77 in 184 innings. He also has 62 boundaries and four maximums. 

However, Warner went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega-auction.

5. AB de Villiers | 251

AB de Villiers finished his IPL career with 251 sixes and he is the fifth highest six-hitter in the T20 league. de Villiers retired from the T20 league after IPL 2021. He had a long stint with RCB.

AB started his IPL career with Delhi Capitals (then known as Delhi Daredevils). He joined RCB in the IPL 2011 mega-auction and was retained by them in 2014 and 2018. de Villiers never captained RCB.

Overall, the Proteas batter has 5162 runs at an average of 39.70 and a strike rate of 151.68. Further, he also has 40 fifties and three centuries.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Which player has lost the most games in IPL history?

4. MS Dhoni | 252

MS Dhoni sits at the fourth spot in the list of batsmen with most sixes in IPL. The former Indian skipper has 252 sixes of 264 matches in this cash rich league.

Dhoni started his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings. He also played for Rising Pune Supergiant in IPL 2016 and 2017.

Overall, Dhoni has 5243 runs at an average of 39.12 and a 137.53 strike rate. Further, he also has 24 fifties in the league.

Dhoni will make his on-field return in IPL 2025. CSK retained Dhoni in the uncapped category for Rs 4 crore. He will continue to play under Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Dhoni captained CSK to five IPL title wins before stepping down.

3. Virat Kohli | 272

Rohit Sharma is followed by Virat Kohli. The IPL legend sits at the third spot with 272 sixes in 252 matches. One of Virat and Rohit can become the first Indian to hit 300 sixes in IPL.

Virat also holds the record for playing for the same franchise, RCB, in every IPL season and while doing so, he has scored more than 8000 runs at an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 131.97. Further, he also has 55 boundaries and eight maximums. He is also the leading run-scorer in the league

Kohli started his career as a rookie and is now the biggest star in the T20 league. He will play under Rajat Patidar's captaincy in RCB for IPL 2025.

2. Rohit Sharma | 280

Indian team captain Rohit Sharma sits at the second spot in this list. The right-handed batsman has cleared the ropes 280 times in 257 matches. Rohit has been a regular in IPL since the league's inception.

Rohit started his IPL career with Deccan Chargers. He joined Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2011 mega-auction and has been with them since then.

Rohit captained MI to 5 IPL title wins. He now plays under Hardik Pandya's captaincy.

Rohit has also been a prolific run-scorer, with 6628 runs at an average of 29.72 and a strike rate of 131.14, including 43 half-centuries and two centuries. 

1. Chris Gayle | 357

Chris Gayle tops the list of batsmen with most sixes in IPL history. The left-handed batsman finished his IPL career with 357 big hits at a sixes-per-match ratio of 2.53 in the league. No other batsman has managed to hit more than 300 sixes in this T20 league.

Gayle started his IPL career with Kolkata Knight Riders. After going unsold in the IPL 2011 mega-auction, Gayle joined RCB as a replacement player and had a memorable stint with them. He also played for Punjab Kings from IPL 2018 to 2021.

Overall, Gayle has scored 4965 runs at an average of 39.72 and a strike rate of 148.96, including 31 fifties and six centuries in IPL. 

The Indian Premier League is just around the corner with the tournament set to start on 22 March.

As usual, it is highly anticipated and is set to draw a huge viewing audience.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Which player has lost the most games in IPL history?

As we move towards the first fixture, between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, let’s take a moment to go back in time and see which batsmen have scored the most runs in IPL since 2018.

Most Runs in IPL (2018-2024)

8. Suryakumar Yadav | 2986 Runs

Suryakumar Yadav had his IPL debut in 2011 for MI. But he got his breakthrough in KKR under Gautam Gambhir but didn't perform up to that level. 2018 saw him return to the Mumbai Indians, where he made massive strides in his IPL career.

Surya has scored 2986 runs during this period in 84 games at an average of 35.55 and a strike rate of 148.71. He has two centuries and 23 half-centuries to his name. He struck 440 boundaries, including 331 fours and 109 sixes.

In 2023, he had his greatest IPL season, where he was appointed as the vice-captain of MI along with scoring 605 runs with a strike rate of 181.14 in 16 innings.

7. Sanju Samson | 2993 Runs

Rajasthan Royals' skipper and wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson has always been a player to rely on in the IPL. He has scored 2993 runs during the 2018-2024 season with two centuries and 18 half-centuries.

IPL 2024 was one of the best seasons for Samson with the bat as he amassed 531 runs at an impressive average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.46. He also led the team to the playoffs for the second time after taking over the reins in IPL 2021.

6. Jos Buttler | 3055 Runs

Jos Buttler comes sixth in the list scoring 3055 runs in 73 matches at an average of 41.85 and a strike rate of 147.80. He has seven centuries and 18 half-centuries to his name.

Buttler had an unforgettable 2022 season, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 863 runs at an average of 57.53 and a blistering strike rate of 149.05.

The England star smashed four centuries and four half-centuries, playing a crucial role in Rajasthan Royals’ journey to the final. His ability to accelerate and play match-winning innings made him one of the standout performers of the season.

5. Shikhar Dhawan | 3208 Runs

Shikhar Dhawan is fifth on the list of most runs in IPL since 2018. He has been a consistent run-getter over this period, crossing the 400-run mark each season from 2018 to 2024. 

Dhawan has 3208 runs in 83 games at an average of 38.65 and a strike rate of 133.56, including 2 hundred and 23 half-centuries, with the help of 367 fours and 82 sixes. 

His best season came in 2020 when he made 618 runs with 2 hundred and 4 fifties. 

4. Shubman Gill | 3216 Runs

Shubman Gill made his IPL debut in 2018 season and scored 3216 runs so far in 85 matches at an average of 37.84 and a strike rate of 135.70. 

Gill was the leading run-scorer of IPL 2023, amassing 890 runs in 17 matches at an impressive average of 59.33. His strike rate of 157.80 included 3 centuries and 4 half-centuries, with a highest score of 129. He also smashed 85 fours and 33 sixes throughout the tournament.

Gill’s heroics helped Gujarat Titans reach the 2023 final, making him a player to watch for many seasons to come.

3. Faf du Plessis | 3276 Runs

Faf Du Plessis, who guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the playoffs last season, has the most runs in IPL during 2018-2024 period. He has scored 3276 runs in 84 matches at an average of 39.01 and a strike rate of 140.04.

He was also sensational with the bat as he scored 438 runs in 2022 season. It came after a brilliant run with the bat in 2023 when he scored over 700 runs for RCB.

Prior to his stint with Bangalore, Du Plessis enjoyed a highly successful tenure with the Chennai Super Kings, winning IPL titles in 2018 and 2021. 

The Proteas batter boasts an impressive record in the overall tournament, scoring 4,571 runs in 145 matches, including 37 half-centuries.

Also Read: Most Wickets in IPL history

2. Virat Kohli | 3586 Runs

Despite Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s struggles in recent seasons, Virat Kohli continued to shine with the bat in every season. He amassed 3586 runs since 2018 season at an average of 40.29 and a strike rate of 134.7, reminding everyone why he is one of the greatest batsmen in T20 cricket.

Kohli has four centuries and 25 half-centuries to his name. His IPL career has seen him hit 339 fours and 163 sixes during this period.

Kohli also scored the most runs in IPL in history with 8004 runs in 252 matches, including 8 centuries and 55 fifties.

1. KL Rahul | 3958 Runs

KL Rahul has hammered 3,958 runs in 79 matches since the start of IPL 2018. He has scored the most runs in IPL this period. 

The tally includes four tons and 33 fifties. Rahul is the only batter to slam 3,000-plus IPL runs in this period. Shikhar Dhawan (3,208), the only other batter to score 2,500-plus since IPL 2018, follows Rahul on this tally.

Since its inception in 2008, the Indian Premier League has gone to achieve unprecedented success in global cricket scenario. Over its illustrious journey, the tournament has also accommodated several stars and match-winners.

The league is currently amid its eighteen edition and is all set to kick off on March 22. The 10 teams will lock horns against each other in a bid to clinch the title. 

Also Read: IPL 2025: Captains of every franchise

So, before the start of the season let's take a look at the IPL facts that which player has lost the most games in IPL history.

IPL Facts | Most defeats for a player in IPL

1. Virat Kohli 

Virat Kohli has played 252 matches from 2008-24, in which he has scored 8004 runs at a strike rate of 132.0 and an average of 38.7. 

Even though Virat is the highest run scorer in IPL history, there is also a statistic that he is also the cricketer who has lost the most matches in IPL.

2. Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik's name comes second in the list of players who lost the most matches in IPL. Karthik has scored 4842 runs at a strike rate of 135.4. He played for many IPL teams and finally retired while being a part of RCB.

3. Rohit Sharma 

The most successful skipper of the tournament– Rohit Sharma's name comes third in the list of players who have lost the most matches in IPL. He has played 257 matches in IPL, in which he has faced defeat in 119 matches. During this period, his bat has scored 6628 runs at a strike rate of 131.14.

Before shifting his base to the Mumbai franchise, Rohit was a part of the now-defunct Deccan Chargers side.

Also Read: Most Wickets in IPL history

4. MS Dhoni 

While MS Dhoni holds the record for playing the most matches in IPL, he is fourth in the list of players who have lost the most matches in IPL. Mahi has played 264 matches in IPL, in which he scored 5243 runs at a strike rate of 137.54 and an average of 39.13.

Mahi, who made Chennai champion 5 times, comes at number 6 in terms of scoring most runs.

5. Shikhar Dhawan 

Shikhar Dhawan, popularly known as Gabbar, comes at number 5 in the list. He has played 222 matches, in which he has faced defeat in 108 matches. During this time Dhawan has scored 6769 runs at a strike rate of 127.14 and an average of 35.26.

India's performance in the ICC events has been mixed in recent years. The title win over South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 ended India’s 11-year-long ICC title drought after it last won a global tournament back in 2013 - the ICC Champions Trophy.

Their latest triumph came via Champions Trophy 2025, as they defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai in the final. It was the second consecutive ICC trophy for India under Rohit Sharma's captaincy.

So far, India have collected 7 ICC trophies including two 50 over World Cups, three Champions Trophy, and two T20 World Cups in 2007 and 2024.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has won 3 ICC events as a captain and Rohit Sharma has 2 in those 7 ICC trophies that India won so far. In this article, SportzPoint will give you  details on India's performances in every ICC tournaments so far.

ICC Cricket World Cup (1975 - 2023):

The International Cricket Council (ICC) started the ODI World Cup back in the year 1975. From then, ICC organized the tournament a total of 13 times. Australia are the most successful in the format as they won 6 titles so far.

India won their first World Cup under Kapil Dev back in 1983 and next under Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2011. With 2 titles India are the second most successful team alongside West Indies in the 50 overs format after Australia. 

Read Also: Most ICC Trophy wins by any team

Indian Men's Cricket team also lost two ODI World Cup finals, one under Sourav Ganguly in 2003 and another one under Rohit Sharma in 2023. Here is how India performed in the each of the 13 editions of the ICC Cricket World Cup.

India's performance in every ICC Cricket World Cup

ICC Champions Trophy (1998 - 2025):

ICC started a new tournament of the 50 overs format in 1998 called the Champions Trophy. It was also referred as a "Mini World Cup". Till 2006 the Champion's Trophy was held every two years. After that, it continues with a gap of 4 years from 2009.

In 2003, India reached the Finals of the tournament along with Sri Lanka. As the match got washed out and India were declared joint winners.

However, India finally won the ICC Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni in 2013 after defeating England by 5 runs.

In 2025, India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai to lift the trophy for the third time. It was the second consecutive ICC trophy for India under Rohit Sharma's captaincy.

Let's take a look at India's performance in the tournament so far.

Read Also | ICC Men's Champions trophy winners list

India's performance in Champions Trophy so far

ICC T20 World Cup (2007 - 2024):

International Cricket Council introduced a new format marquee tournament in 2007 as T20 Cricket started to grow globally. ICC started the T20 World Cup in the year 2007. India defeated their arch-rival Pakistan in the final that year and won the inaugural T20 World Cup under MS Dhoni.

Read Also: India's performance in every T20 World Cup 

Since then, the Indian cricket team became runners-up in 2014 and then finally lifted the trophy again in 2024 under Rohit Sharma.

India's performance in every T20 World Cup

ICC World Test Championship (2019-2025):

ICC World Test Championship started in the year 2019 as New Zealand won the inaugural WTC after defeating India in the ICC World Test Championship 2021 Final.

India once again qualified for the Test Championship final in 2023 and this time, it was Australia who challenged them. India bottled their chance to win an ICC trophy after waiting for a decade and lost the match by a huge margin of 209 runs. 

In 2023-25 World Test Championship, India failed to qualify for the final.

India's performance in every WTC

The International Cricket Council (ICC) conducts different cricket events and tournaments throughout the year. ICC tournaments are the biggest platforms in the game of cricket, where the top teams contest against each other for championship podiums.

Contributing to the team on a big stage like this will always be remembered for a long time. The ODI World Cup is conducted once every four years, whereas the Men's T20 World Cup is played every two years. The ICC Champions Trophy is where only the top 8 teams compete in each finals tournament.

Last but not least, the World Test Championship is played over two years. This article thoroughly talks about the men's cricketing teams that have won ICC trophies at some point in time. Let's take a look at the teams with the most ICC Trophies.

Read Also: Rohit Sharma in ICC knockout games

Australia | 10

Australia's sheer dominance over other cricketing teams is nothing new. For decades, Australia has been executing out-of-ordinary performances and winning trophies for the country. Out of all the cricketing countries, Australia has the most ICC trophies.

Till now the Aussies won 10 ICC trophies. Australia is the only team to win 6 ICC World Cups. The most successful team in the Cricket World Cup clinched the trophy in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, and 2023. Interestingly Australia made a record of being the only team to win the trophy in all the countries that hosted the World Cup.

Australia won the ICC Champions Trophy twice in 2006 and 2009 against West Indies and New Zealand respectively. Lastly, Australia lifted their first-ever ICC T20 World Cup trophy after defeating New Zealand in the 2021 T20 World Cup. They claimed the ICC World Test Championship after defeating India at the Oval by a huge margin of 209 runs.

Read also: Top 8 Wicket-takers of T20 World Cup 2021

India | 7

India sits in the second position on this prestigious list of most ICC Trophies by any team. India won their first-ever ICC World Cup in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev. Later again 28 years, the men in blue won the World Cup for the second time under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2011.

The Indian men's cricket team also reached the semifinals four times in 1987, 1996, 2015, and 2019. Meantime, they lost in two finals in 2003 and 2023.

The men in blue won the Champions Trophy thrice. First, in 2002, both the finalists India and Sri Lanka were declared the co-champions of the 2002 Champions Trophy. In the 2013 edition, India defeated England by 5 runs and won the Champions Trophy for the second time in Birmingham. Their latest triumph came via Champions Trophy 2025, as they defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai in the final.

Lastly, India won the inaugural edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007 after defeating Pakistan in Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, India defeated  South Africa by 7 runs to lift the trophy for the second time.

Read also: India's performance in every ICC tournament

West Indies | 5

Read also: T20 World Cup 2021: Man of the Series, highest wicket-taker, and highest run-getter

Next on this list is West Indies with a total of 5 ICC trophies. The first-ever ICC World Cup final was won by West Indies in 1975. West Indies once again continued their reign in the next edition of the World Cup as well, in 1979. The Caribbean team also won the Champions Trophy in 2004. Lastly, West Indies became the winner of the ICC T20 World Cup twice; once against Sri Lanka in 2012 and the other time against England in 2016.

England | 3

Till 2010, the England team has not had any ICC Tournament. But, it was in 2010, when they won their first ICC T20 World Cup against arch-rival Australia. Craig Kieswetter guided them home in the final for their first-ever ICC Trophy. Post that, they have been a phenomenal white-ball team and won two ICC World Cups since then.

In 2019, they won their first ICC Men's ODI World Cup as Ben Stokes made all the difference in the final against England in a match where boundary count helped England to win the World Cup.

England's latest ICC Trophy triumph came under Jos Buttler as they became the first-ever team in Cricket history to hold the ODI and T20 World Cup at the same time. Jos Buttler and company won the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 as Sam Curran won the player of the tournament after taking 13 wickets with the ball. Curran also was the player of the match in the final as well.

Pakistan | 3

Pakistan sits in the fourth position on the list of most ICC Trophy wins by any team with 3 ICC trophies. The first-ever ICC trophy won by Pakistan was during the 1992 cricket World Cup. Pakistan defeated England in the final and won by 22 runs.

The next ICC trophy won by Pakistan was in the 2009 T20 World Cup where they beat Sri Lanka in the final and won the title by 8 wickets. The most recent and last ICC win of Pakistan is the 2017 Champions Trophy where they defeated India by 180 runs.

Read also: "No one is more disappointed than me": Hasan Ali after T20 World Cup 2021 exit

Sri Lanka | 3

Read also: ICC Hall of fame: Shaun Pollock, Mahela Jayawardene and Janette Britti get inducted

With 3 ICC trophies, Sri Lanka sits in 5th position on this list. Sri Lanka won their first-ever ICC World Cup in 1996 where they played against Australia in the final hosted in Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. They went ahead to win their next ICC trophy in the 2002 Champions Trophy. The winner of the tournament is actually both India and Sri Lanka as both the finalist teams were declared as co-champions.

The last time Sri Lanka won an ICC Trophy was when they defeated India in the 2014 T20 World Cup hosted in Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Dhaka.

New Zealand | 2

The New Zealand cricket team has won a total of 2 ICC trophies since they started competing in tournaments conducted by ICC. The Kiwis won their first-ever ICC Trophy in the 2000 Champions Trophy. Nairobi hosted the final of New Zealand vs India where New Zealand won the match by 4 wickets.

The next ICC Trophy won by the Kiwis was the ICC World Test Championship. Once again, New Zealand played against India in the final of an ICC event and clinched the trophy in the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship final.

Read also: Winners list of last 10 ICC Tournaments

South Africa | 1

With a team of talented and world-renowned cricketers, South Africa won only one ICC trophy throughout its entire history. In the 1998 ICC Champions Trophy hosted in Bangladesh, South Africa beat West Indies in the final and won the title. Jacques Kallis was exceptional and contributed the most to the team reaching and winning the final and was awarded the player of the tournament. He hit a century and picked up a five-wicket haul as well.

Note: The stats include shared trophies. The article was first written by Shreya Ghosh and then got edited by Abishek Goswami.