As much as people talk about temperament in T20s, big-hits in the shortest version of the sport can never go out of the discussion. Much like wickets for the bowlers, in T20s, sixers have a comparable impact for the batsmen.
In fact, may batting innings are nowadays erected based on one’s six-hitting ability. While these cricketers consume the first few deliveries to get a hang of the conditions, right-balls are then chosen to deliver the sixers and improve their strike-rate.
In IPL, six-hitting is a common phenomenon. Balls flying across the air is the USP of this entertaining tournament. And when a batsman fails to hit those sixers, fans usually get disappointed. These five batsmen have so far drawn the ire of the fans for not striking the ball well. With the number of balls they have faced, at least one delivery should have gone out of the park by now.
Note: The stats are as on Game 31 between RCB & KXIP.
Glenn Maxwell – 61
At the start of IPL 2020, if anyone told that Glen Maxwell wouldn’t hit a six for his first eight games of the season, we would have laughed at the statement. Well, in 2020, anything can happen, and so, even after facing 61 balls, Maxwell is yet to strike the ball over the boundaries. He came inches close in the game against KKR, but the fact is that the ball is still waiting to fly off the Aussie hitter’s willow.
Kedar Jadhav – 59
Kedar Jadhav has been in disappointing form this season. CSK has also begun looking beyond him for this edition. A terrific timer of the ball, it is unfortunate that Kedar is yet to strike a six in IPL 2020. The Pune-born cricketer was part of CSK’s first six matches and could manage just a total of 58 runs. The INR 7.8 cr worth batsman has not been great with his strike-rate too, with the number hovering around the 99 mark.
Murali Vijay – 43
CSK had Murali Vijay a part of their squad for the first few games. Vijay is someone who is known for his big hits, but unfortunately, he couldn’t hit a single six in the chances he got. The TN cricketer’s overall contribution has also been inadequate. In three games, Vijay made 32 runs at the strike-rate of 74.41 and an average of 10.66. With CSK slowly finding feet, we may not see much of the opener for this season.
Ben Stokes – 41
Well, similar to Glenn Maxwell, Ben Stokes’ name in this list is also a surprise. Of course, Ben has come late into the tournament, but in the past few games, he has been opening the batting. In 41 balls, the English all-rounder has made 46 runs at an average of 23. The powerful striker hit seven boundaries but could not manage to hit one outside the ropes. However, we could point this to rustiness, and we are pretty sure that Ben would clear the boundary very soon.
Sarfraz Khan – 29
Expectations were high around Sarfraz Khan for this edition. The Mumbai cricketer did well in IPL 2019, and most importantly, he had a terrific Ranji campaign. Also, with the likes of Maxwell and Pooran also in the middle-order, many felt that Sarfraz would come good this season. However, that hasn’t happened so far. In fact, apart from Pooran, no one in KXIP’s middle-order has batted well this season. Nonetheless, Sarfraz not hitting a six despite batting close to five overs is still a surprise. The exciting cricketer is known for his unique ways to clear the ropes, but he hasn’t found a way in his first 29 deliveries this seaso
