The team with the blue jersey is the IPL franchise with the most sixes in the UAE leg of the competition, with 152 strikes out of the ground from 21 matches
Since 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has become the crown jewel of the Indian domestic cricket circuit. After all, the short format, coupled with glam, garners a huge number of domestic and foreign viewership. Not to forget, even non-cricket enthusiasts flock to the stadiums to experience the grandeur of the event. Unfortunately, on two occasions, the IPL was hosted in a different country.
In 2009, the entire event was hosted in South Africa, whereas in 2014, a little over 20 games of the tournament were hosted in the UAE during the elections. In the following paragraphs, let us look at the teams that hit the maximum sixes in the UAE during those 20 games.
The UAE has not been a happy hunting ground for Mumbai Indians. In fact, the first time the IPL moved to the UAE, Mumbai Indians lost all their five matches.The only bright spot for them was Lasith Malinga, who took eight wickets from five games, including his best of 4/23.However, with the likes of Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma in their ranks, Mumbai Indians are never far behind in the list of teams with the most sixes, be it in the UAE or anywhere else. They have struck 152 sixes from 21 matches in the Emirates and lead the tally quite comfortably.
Mumbai Indians holding a meeting during a training session
The first time the IPL moved to the UAE, Glenn Maxwell was absolutely on fire and smashed 300 runs from just five matches at an average of 60 and a strike rate of 200 with a best of 95. As a result, Punjab won all of their five matches in the first leg of the competition.Overall, the team has hit 130 sixes from 19 IPL appearances in the UAE. A massive credit for that goes to KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Chris Gayle who have done the bulk of the six hitting for the side in recent times.
From 19 IPL matches in the UAE, Rajasthan Royals have struck 125 sixes and are third on the list of IPL franchises with the most sixes in the country. A massive chunk of Rajasthan’s sixes has come from the blade of Jos Butler, who has been sensational for the team at the top of the order.
Rajasthan Royals playing eleven entering the field
Sanju Samson, too, has come into his own over the last few years and has recently been appointed the team’s permanent captain. With the likes of Chris Morris and Rahul Tewatia, who have also joined the franchise, there is no dearth of power hitters in the Rajasthan ranks.
108 – CSK, 106 – DC and 102 – KKR make up the top five list of teams with the most sixes in IPL in the UAE.