The Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen some breathtaking performances since its inception in 2008. Teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Chennai Super Kings have the most number of highest score in IPL. One of the most exciting aspects of the tournament is the high-scoring matches, with batsmen often unleashing their full range of strokes to set massive targets or chase down big totals. Over the years, several players have left their mark with some incredible individual performances, amassing huge scores that have etched their names in the history books.
Let’s have a look at the Highest Score in IPL History
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore-263/5
On April 23, 2013, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium witnessed an unforgettable performance by Chris Gayle, as he led the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against the Pune Warriors India. Gayle’s stunning knock of 175* is still the highest individual score in both IPL and T20 cricket, as he smashed 13 fours and an incredible 17 sixes making it the fastest century in IPL history. RCB propelled to a massive total of 263/5, which is the highest team score in IPL history and the highest for RCB. Pune struggled to keep up with the required run rate and could only manage 133/9 in their allotted 20 overs. This match is still remembered as one of the greatest displays of power-hitting in IPL history.
2. Lucknow Super Giants- 257/5
In an IPL game between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at S Bindra stadium in Mohali, LSG recorded the second-highest total in the history of IPL. Batting first, LSG amassed a whopping 257 runs in 20 overs owing to collective contribution from all batters resulting in a high-scoring affair.
PBKS’s bowling attack was helpless and disheartened as LSG’s Kyle Mayers (54) played a brisk fifty and Ayush Badoni (43) and Marcus Stoinis (72) displayed brutal power-hitting, resulting in a massive first-innings score on a pitch that favoured the batters. LSG reached the 200-run mark with 24 legal balls remaining in their innings, with Stoinis getting out after scoring 72 runs off 40 deliveries, and Nicholas Pooran hitting a quickfire 45 off 19 balls. Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada struggled, conceding more than 50 runs each in their four overs. The highest total ever recorded in the IPL was Royal Challengers Bangalore’s 263/5 against the now-defunct Pune Warriors India in IPL 2013. Chris Gayle played an unbeaten knock of 175 runs off just 66 balls, leading Bangalore to a massive victory by 130 runs. Gayle achieved his century in just 30 deliveries, which was four balls faster than the previous record of the fastest hundred in limited-overs cricket, set by Andrew Symonds for Kent against Middlesex in 2004.
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore-248/3
In a match against the now-obsolete Gujarat Lions in IPL 2016, RCB put on a batting masterclass to reach 248/3 in their 20 overs. Even after Chris Gayle’s early dismissal, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers took charge and put on a record-breaking partnership of 229 runs for the second wicket. Kohli’s knock of 109 off 55 balls included five fours and eight sixes, while de Villiers smashed an unbeaten 129 off just 55 deliveries. Gujarat Lions were unable to chase down the mammoth target and were restricted to 104 in 18.4 overs. The batting prowess of RCB made sure to land the top two spots in this list appreciating incredibly high-scoring matches and thrilling performances.
4. Chennai Super Kings-246/5
The Chennai Super Kings, who have won the IPL championship three times, are also among the teams with high scores in the tournament. In IPL 2010, they faced off against the Rajasthan Royals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium and posted an impressive total of 246/5, thanks to an incredible 127 by M Vijay. As for Rajasthan Royals, Naman Ojha played a blistering inning of 94 off 55 balls, while Shane Watson scored a quickfire 60 off just 25 deliveries to keep Rajasthan Royals in the game. However, in the end, they were unable to maintain the momentum and lost the match by 22 runs. This match is still remembered as one of the most entertaining and high-scoring encounters in IPL history.
5. Kolkata Knight Riders-245/6
In May 2018, Kolkata Knight Riders faced the Punjab Kings who have the strongest bowling attacks in IPL. Kolkata batted first and Narine’s incredible innings of 75 off just 36 balls helped them post a massive total of 245/6 in their 20 overs. Chasing such a huge target was always going to be a difficult task, and despite a valiant effort, Punjab fell short and could only manage 214/8. The onslaught from Narine was too much for Punjab to handle, and they were unable to contain him and the rest of the Kolkata batting line-up. This match is a testament to the power of Narine and the importance of having a strong bowling attack in the IPL.
6. Chennai Super Kings-240/5
Chennai Super Kings had a formidable team in the inaugural edition of the IPL, boasting a strong batting line-up with both aggressive and steady batsmen. They demonstrated their strength with a dominant display against Punjab Kings. Michael Hussey led the charge with spectacular innings of 116 off just 54 balls, featuring eight fours and nine sixes. Suresh Raina and S. Badrinath also contributed to helping CSK reach an imposing total of 240/5 in their 20 overs – the fifth-highest team score in IPL history – leaving Punjab in shock. All of this happened just in their second match of the season. Despite a valiant effort from James Hopes, who scored 71 off just 33 balls, Punjab could only manage 207/4 in their chase, and CSK secured a comfortable victory.
7. Royal Challengers Bangalore-235/1
In the 2015 season, Royal Challengers Bangalore scored their third-highest total in an IPL match against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium. After losing the early wicket of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers put on an unbeaten partnership of 215 runs in just 16.5 overs. De Villiers smashed a brilliant century, scoring 133* off 59 balls with 19 fours and four sixes, while Kohli scored 82* off 50 balls with six fours and four sixes. RCB finished their innings with a massive total of 235/1. In response, Mumbai Indians could only manage 196/7 in their 20 overs, and RCB won the match by 39 runs. The magnificent match score got itself a spot in the top 7 highest scores in IPL history.
8. Mumbai Indians-235/9
In the 2021 season amidst the pandemic, Mumbai Indians achieved the highest team total of the season by scoring 235/9 in their allotted 20 overs against SunRisers Hyderabad in Abu Dhabi. The MI skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first. MI required a win by more than 170 runs to qualify for the playoffs. Ishan Kishan played an aggressive inning, scoring 84 off just 32 balls to lay the foundation for a massive total. Later, Suryakumar Yadav took over and smashed 82 runs off 40 balls to help MI reach their record-breaking total for IPL 2021. Sunrisers Hyderabad despite the efforts of Manish Pandey scoring 69 off 41 balls, not out, was unable to match up to the victory mark by scoring 193/8. This was the highest score of Mumbai Indians to date with a previous highest score of 221/6 against Punjab Kings.
From Chris Gayle’s blistering knock of 175* to Rishabh Pant’s stunning 128* in 2021, the list features some of the most memorable innings in IPL history. The players on this list have not only entertained fans but have also shown their ability to adapt to different match situations and deliver under pressure. As the IPL continues to grow in popularity, it will be interesting to see if any player can break these records and set new benchmarks in the future.
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