Aniket Verma has started his IPL 2025 campaign with fireworks. The young Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter from Bhopal has lit up the early part of the season with his fearless hitting, raising questions already about whether he could become one of the most dangerous six-hitters in IPL history.
Aniket Verma, just three games into his IPL career, has already hit 12 sixes in just 57 balls. That’s a six every 4.75 balls — the best rate in IPL history (minimum 50 balls faced). While this is a very small sample size, it’s enough to grab attention.
His six-hitting strike began from his very first innings. Aniket made his debut against Rajasthan Royals this IPL 2025 season and smashed a six off the second ball he faced. In the next match against Lucknow Super Giants, he hit 5 sixes in a 13-ball 36. Then came his standout knock: a 74 off 41 balls against Delhi Capitals, lifting SRH from 25/3 to 163 with 6 sixes.
Aniket’s rise to IPL stardom started with a dominant run in the Madhya Pradesh Premier League in 2024, where he scored 273 runs in six innings including a 32-ball century and 25 sixes overall. His trial performance at SRH was just as explosive, scoring 72 runs in a 6-over simulation and then 64 in another according to a Cricbuzz report.
He was eventually picked by SRH for INR 30 lakh, and now, after three games, looks like a serious six-hitting option for the franchise in the middle and lower order. His inspiration comes from watching the likes of Heinrich Klaasen and Hardik Pandya, and he’s already using advice from Klaasen to sharpen his power game.
We’re using a simple stat here to gauge six-hitting prowess — balls faced per six. The lower the number, the more frequently a batter hits sixes. Aniket leads the list at the moment with a minimum of 12 sixes considered.
| Player | Batting Strike-Rate | Fours | Sixes | Balls Faced/six |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aniket Verma | 205.26 | 5 | 12 | 4.75 |
| Jake Fraser-McGurk | 210.85 | 36 | 30 | 5.83 |
| Andre Russell | 173.84 | 172 | 209 | 6.86 |
| Carlos Brathwaite | 163.06 | 10 | 16 | 6.94 |
| Ashutosh Sharma | 177.08 | 15 | 20 | 7.20 |
| Ben Cutting | 168.79 | 15 | 19 | 7.42 |
| Tim David | 172.4 | 39 | 49 | 8.06 |
| Will Jacks | 165.8 | 18 | 19 | 8.16 |
| Nicholas Pooran | 167.01 | 124 | 140 | 8.19 |
| Ramandeep Singh | 160.97 | 9 | 15 | 8.20 |
| Jofra Archer | 156.52 | 11 | 16 | 8.63 |
| Liam Livingstone | 162.83 | 68 | 68 | 8.71 |
| Krishnappa Gowtham | 166.89 | 15 | 17 | 8.71 |
| Rovman Powell | 147.54 | 21 | 28 | 8.71 |
| Rashid Khan | 161.58 | 39 | 39 | 8.74 |
| Tristan Stubbs | 171 | 30 | 29 | 9.28 |
| Chris Gayle | 148.96 | 404 | 357 | 9.34 |
| Heinrich Klaasen | 169.53 | 65 | 68 | 9.41 |
| Rajat Patidar | 160.43 | 60 | 58 | 9.50 |
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Aniket Verma has also made his mark in the list of longest sixes in IPL 2025. His 102-metre hit against Delhi Capitals is currently the second-longest six of the season, just behind Travis Head’s 105-metre monster against Rajasthan Royals. Aniket also features again on the list with a 95-metre six in the same match, underlining his raw power and consistency as a six-hitter.
| Batter | Team | Distance (m) | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Head | SRH | 105 | SRH vs RR |
| Aniket Verma | SRH | 102 | DC vs SRH |
| Tristan Stubbs | DC | 98 | DC vs LSG |
| Nicholas Pooran | LSG | 97 | SRH vs LSG |
| Sherfane Rutherford | GT | 97 | GT vs PBKS |
Right now, it’s too early to say. Aniket Verma’s IPL record is still only three matches old. But the rate at which he’s clearing the ropes — one six every 4.75 balls — is unprecedented.
Compared to legends like Chris Gayle (9.34 balls/six) or current stars like Klaasen (9.41), Aniket is operating at an insane pace. Even Andre Russell, long seen as the six-hitting benchmark, has a balls-per-six rate of 6.86. But Aniket has a long way to go in terms of matching Russell’s longevity. He’s only starting out.
What’s encouraging is that Aniket isn’t swinging wildly. He’s shown game awareness — like his rebuilding 74(41) knock — alongside his power. With mentorship from Klaasen and the backing of SRH, he’s in the right setup to grow.
Aniket Verma may not be the greatest six hitter yet, but if he keeps going like this, the conversation might be very different by the end of IPL 2025. For now, he’s SRH’s breakout star — and the most exciting six-hitting prospect in the league.
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