One shot over the ropes was all Rajat Patidar needed to carve his name into IPL history. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain produced a fighting half-century against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 22, and although RCB ended on the losing side, Patidar walked away with a milestone no Indian batter had ever achieved faster in the tournament’s history.
Patidar battled hard during RCB’s chase at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, scoring 56 runs from 39 deliveries in a knock featuring six boundaries and one maximum. That solitary six proved historic.
The hit took Patidar to 100 IPL sixes and made him the fastest Indian batter to reach the landmark in terms of balls faced.
According to Cricbuzz data, the Bengaluru skipper required only 933 deliveries to complete his century of IPL sixes, surpassing Shivam Dube’s previous Indian record. The Mumbai all-rounder had needed 992 balls to reach the same milestone.
Fewest Balls Taken to Reach 100 Sixes in IPL History
Andre Russell – Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders – 657 balls
Nicholas Pooran – Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants – 884 balls
Rajat Patidar – Royal Challengers Bengaluru – 933 balls
Chris Gayle – Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings – 943 balls
Sunil Narine – Kolkata Knight Riders – 950 balls
Shivam Dube – Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings – 992 balls
Patidar Climbs Into Elite Global Company
While Patidar now stands alone among Indian batters, his achievement also places him alongside some of the biggest power-hitters in IPL history. Andre Russell remains the benchmark, having reached 100 IPL sixes in just 657 balls across his stints with Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. Nicholas Pooran occupies second place after requiring 884 balls while representing Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Lucknow Super Giants. Patidar now moves into third position overall, overtaking some of T20 cricket’s greatest six-hitters.
Fewest Balls to Reach 100 IPL Sixes
Patidar Adds Another Chapter to RCB History
The milestone carries added weight within Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s history. Patidar has now become only the second Indian batter and fourth player overall to smash 100 or more IPL sixes for RCB. Since making his IPL debut in 2021, the right-hander has taken only 55 matches to reach the landmark, underlining his rise as one of the franchise’s premier middle-order hitters. His impact in IPL 2026 has been equally significant. Patidar has accumulated 393 runs this season, making him RCB’s third-highest run-scorer.
Kohli Still Sits on Top
Despite Patidar’s achievement, the benchmark for six-hitting at RCB continues to belong to Virat Kohli. Across 281 IPL matches and nearly two decades with Bengaluru, Kohli has hammered 312 sixes for the franchise a tally that makes him the first and only batter in world cricket to hit 300 T20 sixes for a single team.
Patidar’s record, however, underlines something equally significant.
Few Indian batters in IPL history have combined consistency and power at this pace. At just 933 balls for 100 sixes, the RCB captain has added another remarkable chapter to his rapidly growing legacy.
