Top-five highest opening unbeaten stands in IPL's history

In a competitive tournament like the Indian Premier League (IPL), it’s not easy for any player or an opening duo to score runs consistently without losing their wickets. But, there have been many occasions wherein the players have succeeded in giving a stable start and converting them to propel the team to a strong score on the board. 

Here are the five highest totals in IPL without losing a wicket: 

1) 210/0 - LSG v KKR in 2022

In Match 66 of IPL 2022 between Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders at Mumbai, the highest-ever score was posted by the openers of the former team without losing a wicket. 

The seasoned campaigners KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock were impressive with their starts in the first 10 overs. Then, they displayed relentless hitting, especially in the last five overs, with Quinton slamming four consecutive sixes off Tim Southee and finishing with 140* off 70. On the other hand, Rahul remained unbeaten on 68 off 51 balls. 

2) 184/0 - KKR v GL in 2017

In Match 3 of IPL 2017 between Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Lions at Rajkot, the tournament finally witnessed the scintillating knock of Big Bash League’s highest run-scorer, Chris Lynn. Batting first, the Lions posted a score of 183 on the board. 

With KKR captain Gautam Gambhir playing second fiddle at the other end, the Lions bowlers faced the wrath of Lynn, who went on to remain unbeaten on 93* off 41 balls, comprising 6 fours and 8 sixes. As a result, the team won the match by 10 wickets with 31 balls still left in the innings. 

3) 181/0 - CSK v PBKS in 2020

In Match 18 of IPL 2020 between Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Dubai, the latter posted 178 on the board, with KL Rahul as the top scorer. 

In reply, experienced CSK openers Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis were terrific with their hitting all around the park. In the same number of balls (53), Watson scored 83, with 11 fours and 3 sixes. On the other hand, Plessis returned with 87, with 11 fours and a single six. The duo crossed the opposition’s score with 14 balls to spare. 

4) 181/0 - RCB v RR in 2021

In Match 16 of IPL 2021, Rajasthan Royals (RR) were up against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Wankhede, a belter of a surface. RR batted first and posted 177 on the board, with Shivam Dube as the top scorer. 

Chasing down a par total on the board, RCB started off in a fine fashion with Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli as the team’s opening pair. In pursuit of this chase, Padikkal hit his first hundred of the IPL and scored 101* off 52 balls, and Kohli ended with 72 off 47 balls. They chased down the total with 21 balls to spare. 

5) 163/0 - MI v RR in 2012

In Match 72 of IPL 2012 between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians at Jaipur, the fifth-highest total without losing a wicket was scored in the history of the league. Batting first, RR scored 162 on the board, with Shane Watson as the top scorer. 

The opening duo of MI, Dwayne Smith and Sachin Tendulkar, were terrific with their confident performances with the bat and chased down the total in 18 overs. Tendulkar played as a second fiddle with 58 off 51 balls, while Smith smashed 87 off 58 balls, with 10 fours and 3 sixes.