The Indian Premier League has been producing extraordinary records since its first edition in 2008. Eighteen years of T20 cricket at the highest intensity, with the world’s best players performing under enormous pressure in front of packed stadiums, has naturally produced some of the most remarkable individual and team achievements in the sport’s history. Here is the definitive guide to IPL’s all-time records.
Highest Individual Score in IPL
Chris Gayle holds the record for the highest individual score in IPL history — an unbeaten 175 off just 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Pune Warriors in 2013. The knock featured 13 fours and an astonishing 17 sixes, and remains one of the most violent and spectacular batting performances in the history of T20 cricket. Gayle reached his century off just 30 balls — the fastest century in IPL history — and then continued to plunder the bowling for another 75 runs before the innings concluded.
Most Runs in IPL History
Virat Kohli is the leading run-scorer in IPL history with over 7,000 runs across more than 200 innings. His consistency over more than fifteen years of IPL cricket is perhaps the most remarkable achievement in the tournament’s history. Suresh Raina, David Warner, Rohit Sharma and AB de Villiers are among the other batters who have crossed the 5,000-run mark, each leaving their distinctive mark on the tournament over many seasons.
Fastest Century in IPL
Chris Gayle’s 30-ball century against Pune Warriors in 2013 is the fastest hundred in IPL history, and it remains one that is likely to stand for many years. To put the achievement in context: Gayle scored his first 50 runs in just 17 balls and his first hundred in 30, an average of more than three runs per ball for the first century of a T20 innings. The boundaries came thick and fast from the moment he strode to the crease, and the Pune Warriors bowling attack had no answers whatsoever.
Most Wickets in IPL History
Yuzvendra Chahal is the all-time leading wicket-taker in IPL history, having surpassed 200 wickets during his time representing various franchises. His leg-spin bowling, with its deceptive flight and sharp turn, has troubled the best T20 batters in the world across many seasons and for multiple teams. Dwayne Bravo, with over 180 IPL wickets, and Lasith Malinga, whose unorthodox slingy action and precision yorkers made him the most feared death bowler of his era, are the other standout names on the all-time wickets list.
Highest Team Score in IPL
The highest team total in IPL history is 287 for 2, scored by Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Pune Warriors in 2013 — the same match in which Gayle made his 175. AB de Villiers contributed a blistering 31-ball 31 in that innings, and the two batters put together a record partnership that completely overwhelmed the opposition. The score remains one of the most extraordinary team batting performances in T20 cricket history anywhere in the world.
Most Sixes in IPL History
Chris Gayle holds the record for the most sixes in IPL history, having cleared the boundary over 350 times across his IPL career. His power hitting was unlike anything the tournament had seen before his arrival, and he set new benchmarks for what was possible in terms of strike rate and boundary hitting from ball one of an innings. AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard are among the other prolific six-hitters in the tournament’s history.
Best Bowling Figures in IPL
Alzarri Joseph’s figures of 6 for 12 on his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019 remain the best in tournament history. The performance was one of the most remarkable debuts in T20 cricket history, with the West Indian fast bowler arriving as a relatively unknown quantity and immediately producing one of the greatest bowling spells the tournament has ever seen. The IPL is full of such moments — instances where a player seizes the spotlight and immediately announces themselves on the biggest stage in T20 cricket.
Most Consecutive Wins in IPL
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings have both put together impressive winning streaks during their dominant phases in IPL history. The ability to win match after match in a T20 tournament — where the margin for error is so small and the opposition so strong — is a remarkable achievement that reflects squad depth, tactical flexibility and the ability to handle pressure situations consistently over an extended period of time.
Youngest and Oldest Players in IPL
The IPL has a proud tradition of blooding young talent from domestic cricket, and several players have made their IPL debuts as teenagers and gone on to become superstars of the game. Sachin Tendulkar’s son Arjun Tendulkar was among the notable young debutants in the tournament. At the other end of the spectrum, MS Dhoni continues to play IPL cricket well into his forties, defying conventional wisdom about the shelf life of elite T20 cricketers.