Gautam Gambhir, former India opener and current head coach, has a lesser tally of sixes in his international cricket career than Muttiah Muralitharan, widely regarded as one of the greatest spin bowlers of all time.
Over a 13-year international career spanning 242 matches for India, Gambhir managed only 37 sixes- 10 in Test matches, 17 in One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 10 in Twenty20s.
By contrast, Muralitharan, who was almost exclusively a bowler batting at No. 9-11, struck 41 sixes in his international career.
Despite Gambhir’s aggressive batting style and his reputation as a ‘big match player’, highlighted by his match-winning 97 in the 2011 World Cup final and 75 in the 2007 T20 World Cup final, his six-hitting numbers remain modest.
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The unusual comparison, that a frontline batter produced fewer sixes than a tail-end bowler, has startled many fans and analysts alike. It underscores that while Gambhir was consistent in scoring runs and building innings, he was never known for power-hitting or clearing the ropes often.
It also raises questions about perceptions of ‘aggressive batting’- hitting boundaries and rotating strike mattered more in Gambhir’s game than slogging for sixes.
Indeed, over his career, he smashed more than 1,188 fours, showing his preference for grounded, timing-based cricket rather than aerial hitting.
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Now, as Gambhir serves as head coach and deals with scrutiny over India’s performance, especially in longer formats, this quirky statistic has become a talking point among critics.
Some argue that such numbers reflect a limitation in his batting style, even as a former player while others say it’s irrelevant to his coaching skills.