Guptill rises as top T-20 six-hitter

Martin Guptill has registered his name as the highest six-hitting batsman in international T-20 cricket after smashing a 97 off 50 balls in a T20 international against Australia in Dunedin on Thursday morning.

He clouted eight sixes at the University of Otago Oval, largely straight down the ground when the Australian bowlers overpitched.

He got in the zone early, powering Jyhe Richardson down the ground for six and continuing his role, reaching his half-century off 27 balls.

It launched Guptill to the top of T20 international's six-hitting list, passing India’s Rohit Sharma’s tally of 127 from 108 matches. In his 96th match, Guptill moved to 132 sixes.

‘My job doesn’t change, I just went out and tried to do the best I could and fortunately, it came off,’ he said after a post-match press conference.

The 34-year-old arrived in Dunedin amid a run drought, having scored naught in the series opener in Christchurch and not passed 50 in T20 internationals since November 2019, against England in Auckland. This was his 12th innings since in the format.

England skipper Eoin Morgan holds the third position on the chart with 111 sixes, followed by New Zealand’s Collin Munro, 117 sixes.