Fewest balls to reach 100 sixes in IPL

Power-hitting continues to be among the biggest appeals of the Indian Premier League. The battle for 100 sixes is typically used to identify the most threatening players in this regard. Several powerful IPL batters have been known to destroy attacks through aggressive stroke play and unbelievable strike rate. Recently, Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar made his way into this elite list by recording 100 sixes, the fastest Indian batter in the history of IPL, managing to achieve the feat in just 933 balls during the RCB vs Sunrisers Hyderabad encounter in 2026. With this achievement, Patidar stands third on the all-time list behind two West Indian batters, André Russell, and Nicholas Pooran.

This feat clearly illustrates the rapid evolution of T20 batting skills. As can be observed from the below chart, several great batters created their milestones over years, but there are a few who accomplished the feat much faster than the rest.

Fewest balls to 100 sixes in IPL:

1. Andre Russell – 657 Balls 

Andre Russell still owns the IPL record for the fewest balls taken to hit 100 sixes. The former Kolkata Knight Riders star reached the milestone in only 657 deliveries, far ahead of the rest. Russell finished his IPL career with 223 sixes from 140 matches. He also scored 2,651 runs at a strike rate of 174.17, which remains the best among players with over 1,300 IPL runs. Russell’s impact went beyond batting. He picked up 123 wickets and became one of only two players in IPL history to complete the double of 2,000 runs and 100 wickets. His 2019 season remains one of the most destructive campaigns seen in the tournament.

2. Nicholas Pooran – 884 Balls 

Pooran is ranked second on the chart having slammed 100 IPL sixes from 884 deliveries. The left-handed batsman achieved this feat playing for multiple franchises such as Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Lucknow Super Giants. So far, Pooran has hit 186 sixes in 103 matches of the IPL. The fearless batting style of Pooran makes him one of the scariest finishers in the league. He has notched up 2,525 runs at a strike rate of 164.71 with 15 half-centuries in his career. His best IPL season came in 2025 when he hammered 524 runs and 40 sixes for LSG.

3. Rajat Patidar – 933 Balls 

Rajat Patidar has been the best success story of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru team. RCB captain became the fastest Indian batsman to score 100 sixes in only 933 balls, and he did so in IPL 2026 while scoring 56 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Patidar had 1,504 runs in 55 games in IPL with a strike rate over 161. Furthermore, Patidar has a record of hitting one century and 13 half-centuries in his career. His unbroken century of 112 runs against the Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator of IPL 2022 is worth remembering.

4. Chris Gayle – 943 Balls 

It is rare for an IPL batsman to impact the way Chris Gayle did. The West Indies batsman took 943 balls to hit 100 sixes and later ended up breaking records after hitting a total of 357 sixes in the IPL tournaments. The batsman was associated with teams such as Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Punjab Kings in his IPL career. Gayle made 4,965 runs with six centuries and 31 fifties. His 175 against Pune Warriors India in 2013 is the highest IPL score. That innings also produced the fastest IPL century, reached in just 30 balls.

5. Sunil Narine – 950 Balls 

Sunil Narine rounds off the list in fifth place after needing 950 deliveries to score 100 sixes in the IPL. Having started out as a mysterious leg-spinner, the all-rounder from Kolkata Knight Riders went on to become one of the most feared opening batters in the competition. Sunil Narine currently possesses 120 sixes in the IPL. With more than 200 IPL appearances, Narine has amassed more than 1,800 runs at a strike rate of 165-plus, in addition to claiming 206 wickets. He remains the only player to win the IPL MVP award three times and continues to play a key role for KKR with both bat and ball.