The journey of the six — from a bonus to primary currency

In T20 cricket, the six is the shot that changes a match. It shifts momentum, lifts a crowd and alters the terms of a contest in a single stroke. In IPL 2026, the maximum has become the clearest measure of a team’s batting ambition, and more often than not, a reliable indicator of which side walks away with the points. Through 55 matches, teams have hit 1,045 sixes, and are well on course to challenge the all-time record of 1,294 set in 2025.

Power-hitting is no longer confined to the death overs. It’s from ball one, woven into every phase of an innings, and the teams leading the points table are, without exception, among those clearing the boundary most frequently.

Sunrisers Hyderabad leads the six-hitting charts with 135 maximums, reflecting its standing as the most attack-minded batting unit in the competition. Punjab Kings follows with 134; Royal Challengers Bengaluru is third with 119, and Rajasthan Royals sits fourth with 109.

Within each side, the leading contributors tell their own story. Abhishek Sharma heads SRH’s tally with 36; Ryan Rickelton leads Mumbai’s count on 33; Priyansh Arya has 32 maximums, the most by a PBKS batter; Rajat Patidar anchors RCB’s charge with 30. Topping the individual standings is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR) with 40 sixes. His 103-run knock against SRH, which included 12 maximums, the most by an Indian in a single IPL innings, captured what this season has come to represent. At 15, he is rewriting records almost every time he bats.

In this IPL season, the six is no longer a bonus. It is batting’s primary currency.