Longest Sixes in Cricket: Biggest Hits Across All Formats

The biggest sixes in cricket regularly exceed 100 metres and, at their most extreme, approach or surpass 115–120 metres. Power hitting has evolved dramatically with the T20 era, producing a generation of batters who can clear large grounds with regularity. Here is a comprehensive look at cricket’s biggest hitters and the sixes that defined their reputations.

How Six Distance Is Measured

Cricket does not have a single standardised measurement system. Broadcasters and leagues use ball-tracking and graphics overlays to estimate distance, but the technology and methodology varies between competitions and decades. Numbers attached to specific sixes should be understood as estimates, not certified records. That caveat noted, consistently hitting beyond 100 metres is elite territory.

The Great Distance Hitters

Shahid Afridi — Pakistan

Afridi is perhaps the most iconic big-hitter in cricket history. Playing primarily in the 1990s and 2000s, he regularly cleared large grounds in a way that few batters of any era have matched. His sixes were characterized by raw, uninhibited power and a bottom-hand swing that generated extraordinary bat speed.

Liam Livingstone — England

Among active players, Livingstone is widely regarded as one of the longest hitters. He has been tracked clearing 110+ metres on multiple occasions in T20 internationals and franchise leagues, and his 360-degree hitting ability makes him effective against all bowlers.

Glenn Maxwell — Australia

Maxwell combines technique with power. His unconventional switch-hit and reverse-sweep generate big distances, and in more conventional mode he can clear long-on with ease. He is among the most effective and longest hitters in the IPL and Australian T20 cricket.

Kieron Pollard — West Indies

Pollard’s physicality translated into exceptional raw power. A stalwart of T20 leagues across the world, he produced numerous massive sixes throughout his career in the IPL, CPL, and international cricket.

David Miller — South Africa

Miller, nicknamed “Killer Miller,” is South Africa’s premier finisher and a consistent distance hitter. His sixes in IPL and SA20 have been tracked at well over 100 metres on multiple occasions.

Biggest Sixes by Format Context

Format	Context	Notable For
T20 Internationals	Most frequent big-hitting environment	Livingstone, Maxwell, Pollard standouts
IPL	Concentration of elite T20 hitters globally	Miller, Maxwell, Pollard, Russell
ODIs	Big hits less frequent; powerplay and death overs produce the longest	Afridi, de Villiers era standouts
Test cricket	Sixes rarer; lower-order batters sometimes produce surprise distance hits	Flintoff, Lee, Stokes in recent history

What Makes a Six Travel Far

Several factors combine to produce a genuinely long six:

• Bat speed and timing — hitting the sweet spot at maximum bat speed is the dominant factor
• Launch angle — too flat or too steep both reduce distance; the optimal angle is roughly 25–35 degrees
• Ball condition — a hard, new ball carries further than a softer used ball
• Altitude — grounds at higher elevation (e.g. in Johannesburg or parts of the Caribbean) produce thinner air, adding metres to big hits
• Wind conditions — a following wind can add significant distance

The Evolution of Power Hitting

Modern T20 bats have larger sweet spots and thicker edges than bats from previous decades. Coupled with specialised training in rotational power and weight training, today’s T20 batters are better equipped to hit for distance than any previous generation. Average six distances have increased across the board in professional T20 cricket over the past decade.

Quick summary: The longest sixes in cricket reach 110–120 metres at the extreme end. Shahid Afridi set the benchmark for a previous generation, while Liam Livingstone, Glenn Maxwell, and David Miller are among the modern era’s elite distance hitters. T20 cricket has driven a step-change in power hitting that shows no sign of reversing.