Dewald Brevis became the first cricketer to hit 50 sixes in 2025, but South Africa lost to Pakistan in Lahore. Saim Ayub’s unbeaten 71 led Pakistan to victory, while Babar Azam surpassed Rohit Sharma to become T20I cricket’s leading run-scorer.
Young South African batting sensation Dewald Brevis etched his name into the record books by becoming the first cricketer to hit 50 sixes in international cricket in 2025. The 22-year-old outshone several power-hitters, including Harry Brook, Abhishek Sharma, and Shai Hope, to reach this remarkable milestone. With this feat, Brevis also became only the second South African, after the legendary AB de Villiers, to smash 50 international sixes in a single calendar year, cementing his reputation as one of the most explosive young talents in world cricket.
Most sixes in international cricket in 2025:
| Player | Sixes |
| Dewald Brevis | 50 |
| Harry Brook | 46 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 43 |
| Shai Hope | 42 |
| Tanzid Hasan | 41 |
In the second T20I against Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Brevis continued his fine form, scoring 25 runs off just 16 deliveries. His innings included three towering sixes that briefly lifted South Africa’s hopes. However, apart from Brevis, the rest of the South African batting lineup faltered badly. Under the leadership of Donovan Ferreira, the Proteas suffered a batting collapse and were bundled out for a disappointing total of 110 runs.
Veteran opener Quinton de Kock, who recently made his much-anticipated return to international cricket, once again failed to make an impact, scoring only seven runs. His opening partner, Reeza Hendricks, was dismissed without troubling the scorers, further compounding South Africa’s troubles. Pakistan’s bowlers maintained relentless pressure throughout the innings. Faheem Ashraf emerged as the standout performer with the ball, claiming four wickets, while Salman Mirza chipped in effectively with three scalps, ensuring that South Africa never settled into any rhythm.
Chasing a modest target, Pakistan’s young opener Saim Ayub stole the spotlight with a sensational display of power-hitting. The 23-year-old remained unbeaten on 71 off just 38 balls, guiding Pakistan to a dominant nine-wicket victory. His partner, Sahibzada Farhan, added a steady 28 before falling to Corbin Bosch.
Babar Azam becomes leading T20I run-scorer
Former captain Babar Azam joined Ayub in the middle and scored an unbeaten 11, which turned out to be a historic knock. With those runs, Babar surpassed India’s Rohit Sharma to become the leading run-scorer in T20I cricket, amassing 4,234 runs in 130 matches, overtaking Rohit’s tally of 4,231.
Despite this incredible milestone, Babar’s place in the T20I side is far from secure. His recent struggles with consistency and maintaining a high strike rate have raised concerns within the Pakistan camp. Team management has previously dropped him for similar reasons, and unless he adapts his game to meet the modern T20 demands, history may repeat itself.