India's six-hitting domination sets them apart from T20 World Cup competitors

With a stunning 48-8 win-loss record (excluding super-over results, where India are 3-0) in T20Is since October 2023, India go into T20 World Cup 2026 as overwhelming favourites. Among the top teams, Australia are next, but their win-loss ratio of 2.153 (28 wins, 13 defeats) is about a third of India's, which illustrates how dominant India have been in the format recently.

Much of their recent T20I success has been the result of their explosive batting: their run rate of 9.69 is the best among all teams, while their 20 totals of 200 or more in 62 matches is also the best by a distance: West Indies are next with 13 in 61, while New Zealand have 10 in 51.

In the recent series against New Zealand, India had three totals exceeding 200 in five innings, including 271 in the last game, while they also chased down a target of 154 in ten overs in the third game. Their series run rate was a staggering 12.35, the second-best in any T20I series of three or more games among the top 12 teams. The best was also by India - 12.54 against Bangladesh in October 2024.

A line-up that includes Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh is a scary prospect despite Sanju Samson's current slump, and even more so if pitches and conditions are favourable for batters. A comparison of batting stats for all teams, based on the T20 numbers of squad members since October 2023, indicates why bowlers won't be queuing up to bowl to this Indian line-up.

In all T20s they've played since October 2023, the members of India's World Cup squad have struck 1081 sixes, at a rate of 10.99 balls per six. That's easily the best among the squads of all the top teams playing in this tournament: in second place is Australia, almost a ball behind at 11.91. India's balls per boundary (four or six) and strike rate are the best too.

Among the individual batters, Abhishek dominates, leading the list of six-hitters both in terms of the number of sixes and the rate of hitting them. He has struck 249 sixes in all T20s since October 2023, the most in this period among all batters playing in this World Cup, while the frequency of those hits - 6.78 balls per six - is also the best among those with at least 30 T20 sixes in this period. He is also the only one in this list striking at over 200. Apart from Abhishek, there are three other Indians with a sub-11-ball rate of hitting sixes: Ishan Kishan (101 sixes, 9.64 balls per six), Hardik Pandya (89, 10.47) and Shivam Dube (111, 10.67).

While the spotlight will be on Abhishek and his team-mates, there are other clean ball-strikers who will challenge him for the most-explosive-batter tag. There's Finn Allen, New Zealand's opener, who has been in terrific form, hitting 179 sixes (and only 177 fours) at the rate of 6.89 balls per six. That includes 48 sixes in the BBL, and 55 in Major League Cricket. Can he replicate the same form in Asia as well?

Then there's Dewald Brevis, whose 153 sixes have come at under eight deliveries per six. His form will be key for South Africa, especially given the late withdrawal of Donovan Ferreira, whose 128 sixes came at a rate of one every 7.75 balls. Australia have Glenn Maxwell and Tim David for their middle-order firepower, but it remains to be seen if they can summon up their best in Asian conditions.

Indian batters again dominate the list of instances of big hitting in individual innings. There have been nine occasions when batters from the current India squad hit ten or more sixes in an innings in all T20 cricket since October 2023; no other squad has more than three such instances.

In fact, Abhishek himself achieved this four times, which is more than the total count for the squad members of any other team. His four instances include a 54-ball 135 against England last year, when he hit 13 sixes, and a 141 for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, when he struck ten sixes.

Apart from Abhishek, India also have two other batters who have achieved this feat twice - Kishan and Tilak Varma. These are daunting stats for opposition bowlers, and further illustrate why India will be the team to contain - and beat - over the next month.