Highest Individual Scores in IPL History

highest individual scores in ipl history

Chris Gayle walked out to bat in Bengaluru on April 23, 2013 — and 66 balls later, the record books had been rewritten forever. His 175* against Pune Warriors remains the highest individual score in IPL history and in all of T20 cricket. But the list behind it? It's full of equally jaw-dropping stories.

175*All-time IPL record — Chris Gayle (2013)
66Balls Gayle took to score 175* (17 sixes)
141Highest score by an Indian — Abhishek Sharma (2025)
110+Total IPL centuries as of 2025

Top 15 Highest Individual Scores in IPL History

Updated through IPL 2025, this is the definitive list of the biggest individual innings ever played in the tournament — with full match details, balls faced, strike rate, and match outcome.

# Player Score Balls SR 4s 6s Team vs Opponent Year Result
1 Chris Gayle 175* 66 265.2 13 17 RCB vs Pune Warriors 2013 Won
2 Brendon McCullum 158* 73 216.4 10 13 KKR vs RCB 2008 Won
3 Abhishek Sharma 🇮🇳 Indian Record 2025 141 55 256.4 14 10 SRH vs PBKS 2025 Won
4 Quinton de Kock 140* 70 200.0 10 10 LSG vs KKR 2022 Won
5 AB de Villiers 133* 59 225.4 19 4 RCB vs MI 2015 Won
6 KL Rahul 🇮🇳 132* 69 191.3 14 7 KXIP vs RCB 2020 Won
7 Rilee Rossouw 130* 56 232.1 11 10 RR vs KKR 2022 Won
8 AB de Villiers 129* 52 248.1 10 12 RCB vs GL 2016 Won
9 Rishabh Pant 🇮🇳 128* 63 203.2 15 7 DD vs SRH 2018 Lost
10 Chris Gayle 128* 62 206.5 11 10 RCB vs DD 2012 Won
11 David Warner 126 59 213.6 10 9 SRH vs MI 2017 Won
12 Michael Hussey 116* 54 214.8 11 7 CSK vs MI 2013 Lost
13 Manish Pandey 🇮🇳 114* 73 156.2 12 4 RCB vs DD 2009 Won
14 Virat Kohli 🇮🇳 113* 50 226.0 11 7 RCB vs GL 2016 Won
15 Murali Vijay 🇮🇳 127* 56 226.8 8 11 CSK vs RR 2010 Won
🏏 Key Insight: Of the top 15 innings, 13 resulted in a team win. Big individual scores are not just records — they're match-winners. The two exceptions? Rishabh Pant's heroic 128* in a losing cause (2018) and Michael Hussey's unbeaten 116 that still wasn't enough.

The Stories Behind the Top 5 Innings

Stats tell you what happened. These stories tell you why these innings will never be forgotten.

#1

Chris Gayle — 175* (66 balls) | RCB vs Pune Warriors | IPL 2013

M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | April 23, 2013

Score: 175*
Balls: 66
SR: 265.15
4s: 13
6s: 17
Team Total: 263/5

This is not just the highest individual score in IPL history — it is the highest in all of T20 cricket, worldwide, ever. Gayle's 175* stands alone, untouched for over 12 seasons. Pune Warriors, put in to field, watched helplessly as Gayle reached his fifty in 17 balls, his century in just 30 — the fastest in IPL history — and his 150 off 53 balls.

He hit 17 sixes, the most in any T20 innings globally. His 175 runs alone accounted for 66% of RCB's total of 263, which was at the time the highest T20 team total ever recorded. Pune were dismissed for 133, losing by 130 runs. The match was over. The record? Still standing.

⚡ Why it's unbeatable: No batter has come within 17 runs of this score in 12 seasons. The gap tells you everything about how extraordinary this innings truly was.
#2

Brendon McCullum — 158* (73 balls) | KKR vs RCB | IPL 2008

M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | April 18, 2008

Score: 158*
Balls: 73
SR: 216.44
4s: 10
6s: 13
Team Total: 222/3

On the very first night of the IPL's existence, Brendon McCullum walked out and smashed the tournament into life. His 158* was the first-ever 150+ score in T20 cricket history, setting the tone for everything that followed in franchise cricket globally.

KKR posted 222/3 — the first team to breach 200 runs in IPL history — and bowled RCB out for just 82. The margin of victory: 140 runs. The verdict was instant — this new format was going to be something special. McCullum's knock was the perfect opening act.

📜 Historical significance: No innings in cricket history carries more "first" labels. First match, first big score, first 150 in T20. A record that stood five full years until Gayle eclipsed it.
#3

Abhishek Sharma — 141 (55 balls) | SRH vs PBKS | IPL 2025 🇮🇳 Indian Record

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | April 12, 2025

Score: 141
Balls: 55
SR: 256.36
4s: 14
6s: 10
Target Chased: 246

The most recent entry on this list is also the most dramatic. SRH were chasing 246 against Punjab Kings — a total that looked impossible. Abhishek Sharma had scored just 51 runs in his previous five innings. What followed was one of the most explosive batting displays in T20 history.

He hit four fours off his first five balls, reached his fifty in just 19 balls, and brought up his maiden IPL century off 40 deliveries — the sixth fastest in IPL history. He was dropped multiple times, survived no-balls, and hit with consistent ferocity to push SRH to 100 by the 8th over in a chase of 246. He fell in the 17th over for 141, becoming the first batter in T20 history to score three centuries in 40 or fewer balls.

SRH chased down 246 with 9 balls remaining, completing the second-highest successful run chase in IPL history. Abhishek's innings also became the highest score by an Indian in the IPL, eclipsing KL Rahul's 132* that had stood since 2020.

🔥 The chase context makes this unique: Unlike Gayle and McCullum who batted first, Abhishek dismantled a 246 target. Batting under pressure, in a do-or-die chase, raises this innings to a different level entirely.
#4

Quinton de Kock — 140* (70 balls) | LSG vs KKR | IPL 2022

DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai | April 2022

Score: 140*
Balls: 70
SR: 200.00
4s: 10
6s: 10
Team Total: 210

The defining innings of LSG's debut IPL season. De Kock told assistant coach Vijay Dahiya he had never felt "this good" before the match — and then delivered on that confidence in spectacular fashion. He and KL Rahul batted all 20 overs without being dismissed, putting on a record 210-run opening partnership.

What sets this innings apart is its elegance over aggression. Unlike Gayle's raw power or McCullum's blitz, de Kock scored 10 fours and 10 sixes with a precision that made it look almost easy — a perfect 200 strike rate across 70 balls. KKR, despite a valiant Rinku Singh cameo, fell two runs short. The highest individual innings in LSG's history.

🎯 The stylist's entry: De Kock remains the only non-Indian on this list to have played his defining innings for an Indian team in their very first season.
#5

AB de Villiers — 133* (59 balls) | RCB vs MI | IPL 2015

Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | May 10, 2015

Score: 133*
Balls: 59
SR: 225.42
4s: 19
6s: 4
Team Total: 235/1

The technically pure entry in a list dominated by power hitters. ABD came in at number three with the score at 14/1 after 3.1 overs — and proceeded to dismantle one of IPL's best bowling attacks (Malinga, Bumrah, McClenaghan) at their home ground. The Wankhede crowd ended up applauding him as a visitor.

What makes this innings special: 19 of his 23 boundaries were fours, not sixes — testament to his extraordinary placement and timing rather than brute force. He partnered with Kohli for an unbroken 215-run stand, still the highest partnership in IPL history. RCB made 235/1 and won by 39 runs.

🎨 The artist's innings: ABD used geometry where others used muscle. A perfect 225 strike rate but only 4 sixes — proof that precision can be just as devastating as power.

Players With the Most Centuries in IPL History

#PlayerCenturiesTeam(s)Highest Score
1Virat Kohli8RCB113*
2Chris Gayle6RCB, KXIP, MI175*
3KL Rahul5Multiple teams132*
4AB de Villiers3RCB133*
5David Warner4SRH, DC, GT126
6Rohit Sharma2DC, MI109*
7Abhishek Sharma2SRH141

Highest Individual Scores by Indian Batters in IPL

India has produced some of the IPL's most memorable centuries, but the Indian record changed hands in dramatic fashion in 2025:

#PlayerScoreBallsOpponentYear
1Abhishek Sharma Current Record14155PBKS2025
2KL Rahul132*69RCB2020
3Rishabh Pant128*63SRH2018
4Murali Vijay127*56RR2010
5Virat Kohli113*50GL2016
6Manish Pandey114*73DD2009

What These Innings Have in Common

Beyond the raw numbers, the highest IPL scores share fascinating patterns that reveal exactly when and how records get broken:

📍 Venue Matters

The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has hosted two of the top three scores (Gayle 175*, McCullum 158*). Small boundaries, flat pitches, and high altitude make it one of the most batting-friendly venues in world cricket. Of the top 10 scores, six were scored at high-scoring venues in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Navi Mumbai.

⚡ Strike Rate vs Balls Faced

Abhishek Sharma's 141 off 55 balls (SR 256) edges out Gayle's 175 off 66 (SR 265) as the second-highest strike rate in the list. ABD's 129* off 52 balls (SR 248) remains the most efficient innings by balls-per-run, followed closely by Kohli's 113* off 50 (SR 226). Sheer power and strike rate, not just raw score, define these innings.

🏆 The Chasing Advantage

Interestingly, while Gayle and McCullum set their records batting first, Abhishek Sharma's 141 came in a chase of 246 — contextually the hardest situation. He is the only batter in the top 5 who scored his century while chasing, making his innings arguably the most pressure-tested of any on this list.

⚠️ The Record That Might Fall in IPL 2026: Abhishek Sharma is the name to watch. Already with three T20 centuries in 40 or fewer balls — a record no one else has managed even twice — he has the temperament and stroke play to challenge Gayle's 175*. He came within 34 runs of it in 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the highest individual score in IPL history?
Chris Gayle holds the all-time record with 175* off 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors on April 23, 2013. This is also the highest score in all of T20 cricket worldwide.
What is the highest individual score by an Indian in IPL?
Abhishek Sharma holds the record for the highest score by an Indian batter in IPL, scoring 141 off 55 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings on April 12, 2025. He broke KL Rahul's previous record of 132*.
Who scored 158 in the first IPL match?
Brendon McCullum of New Zealand scored an unbeaten 158 off 73 balls for Kolkata Knight Riders against RCB in the very first IPL match on April 18, 2008. This was also the first 150+ score in T20 cricket history.
Has anyone scored 200 in IPL?
No. Only two players have crossed 150 in IPL history — Chris Gayle (175*) and Brendon McCullum (158*). Abhishek Sharma's 141 in 2025 is the third highest, but a double century remains unachieved in the format.
Who has the most centuries in IPL history?
Virat Kohli holds the record for the most centuries in IPL history with 8 hundreds, all scored for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Chris Gayle is second with 6 centuries.
What is the highest individual score in IPL 2025?
Abhishek Sharma's 141 off 55 balls (SRH vs PBKS, April 12, 2025) is the highest individual score in IPL 2025, which is also the highest ever by an Indian in IPL history.
What was the fastest century in IPL?
Chris Gayle holds the record for the fastest IPL century, reaching 100 runs in just 30 balls during his 175* innings against Pune Warriors in IPL 2013.
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