Highest Scores In IPL History

Arnav Chopra

Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Abhishek Sharma, Quinton De Kock and AB de Villiers (Source: @IPL/X.com)Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Abhishek Sharma, Quinton De Kock and AB de Villiers (Source: @IPL/X.com)

The cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) is known to set distinct records with some unique characteristics since its inaugural edition. Players from different nations join hands and set records that have been unbreakable since the beginning as they have done wonders with either bat or ball.

Right from Brendon McCullum's iconic 158* in the IPL opener to Abhishek Sharma's blistering 141 against Punjab Kings in this year's IPL, the batters have always set the tournament alive with their extreme power-hitting skills. Therefore, in this article, we will have a look at the highest individual scores by batters in IPL history since its inaugural edition.

5. AB de Villiers - 133* vs MI, 2015

At number five on this list is Royal Challengers Bangalore's legendary South African slogger, AB de Villiers, who set the stage on fire back in 2015 against Mumbai Indians with an intense 133* off just 59 deliveries, smashing 19 fours and four sixes as his strike rate was a massive 225.42. 

Batting first, RCB lost Chris Gayle early for 13, but then-skipper Virat Kohli, who was the other opener, smashed 82* off 50 deliveries, while the number three batter, AB de Villiers, walked onto the crease and did wonders by smashing the Mumbai bowlers all over the park.

Except Lasith Malinga, the rest of the bowlers were tonked everywhere as the RCB side managed to put 235 on the board for the loss of just one wicket after the end of their 20 overs. In reply, the MI side tried their level best, but could only get to as far as 196 with seven wickets down, losing the game by 39 runs, helping RCB with a comfortable victory.

4. Quinton de Kock - 140* vs KKR, 2022

At number four is another South African, Quinton de Kock, who was representing the newcomers, Lucknow Super Giants, back in 2022 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the DY Patil Stadium.

Quinton opened the innings alongside KL Rahul, and the duo remained unbeaten until the end of the innings, scoring 210 without losing any wicket. While skipper Rahul scored 68* off 51 deliveries, Quinton de Kock went berserk with 140*, coming off just 70 balls with 10 fours and as many gigantic sixes where his strike rate was a massive 200.

The match went right down to the wire, where Kolkata were able to reach 208 for the loss of eight wickets after the end of the 20 overs, hence losing the game by a meager margin of two runs.

3. Abhishek Sharma - 141 vs PBKS, 2025* (Tonight)

The only Indian on this list is southpaw Abhishek Sharma who took the Punjab Kings side by storm while playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Hyderabad stadium as he opened the innings alongside Travis Head.

The Punjab Kings batted first and thumped a gigantic 245 on the board losing six wickets after the end of the 20 overs, as this daunting target was looking far away from their reach after the half-way mark.

However, this Hyderabad side had other plans, especially the youngster Abhishek, who consumed just 55 deliveries and banged 141 with 14 fours and 10 massive sixes while striking runs at an unbelievable 256.36.

He was equally complimented by Head with his 37-ball 66 as Hyderabad raced towards the target in just 18.3 overs, hence winning the game by eight wickets and nine deliveries to spare. This record chase by Hyderabad will be remembered for a long time, thanks to Abhishek's once-in-a-lifetime knock that turned around the fortune of the orange army.

2. Brendon McCullum - 158* vs RCB, 2008

The number two spot belongs to none other than the legendary Brendon McCullum, who set the stage in the very first match of the IPL back in 2008 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore side.

McCullum, who used to play for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural edition, came out to bat at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru where he opened the innings alongside skipper Sourav Ganguly.

Kolkata lost Ganguly early, but Brendon McCullum had different ideas as he remained unbeaten until the end after facing 73 deliveries to thump 10 fours and 13 maximums, striking runs at 216.43, where he scored 158* to bring the IPL alive.

The Kolkata side ended up scoring 222, whereas the Royal Challengers were bowled out for just 82 as they couldn't match up to their opposition, losing the game by a gigantic 140 runs.

Thanks to McCullum, the IPL gained a worldwide reputation, becoming an overnight success as it registered itself as one of the most watched leagues in the world of sports. And McCullum deserves every credit for that night in Bengaluru. McCullum's 158* is still remembered as one of the finest knocks in not just the league's history but in T20 cricket ever, as he thumped the RCB bowlers all around the park.

1. Chris Gayle - 175* vs PWI, 2013

The undisputed King who retains the number one spot after so many years is none other than the Jamaican Chris Gayle who displayed absolute madness in Bangalore back in the year 2013 while playing for his beloved Royal Challengers Bangalore side, scored a memorable 175*. 

Gayle opened the innings alongside Tillakaratne Dilshan and, right from the word go, launched a scathing attack on the Pune bowlers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 2 for 23 in his four overs, while Luke Wright bowled a fine spell of 1 for 26 in the same number of overs.

However, apart from them, the rest of the bowlers were all over the park, where Gayle concluded his innings in just 66 deliveries to stay not out after scoring 175* runs individually. Smashing 13 classic boundaries and 17 powerful sixes, Gayle batted at an unimaginable strike rate of 265.15.

The RCB side went on to score 263 for the loss of five wickets after the completion of their 20 overs. Whereas in reply, Pune were no match for Bangalore, who were only able to manage 133 for the loss of nine wickets after playing out their 20 overs where Gayle also claimed two wickets with the ball, as RCB registered a massive victory by 130 runs.

Every time the IPL's name is mentioned, Gayle's 175* will always be remembered for being one of the best ever knocks in cricketing history that the Bangalore public and cricket fans remember to this day. Gayle's assault with the bat will be remembered for a very long time, as his batting destruction will always be unmatched in this high-profile extravaganza.