The Indian Premier League has always been a stage where batting records are broken, rewritten, and rewritten again. Since the tournament’s very first match in 2008, batters have continuously pushed the boundaries of what is possible in T20 cricket. IPL 2026 has already added new names to the all-time record books, making it the perfect moment to revisit the five highest individual scores in the history of the competition.
Top 5 Highest Individual Scores in IPL History
Table of Contents
Top 5 Batters with Highest Individual Scores in IPL History
| Rank | Batter | Score | Balls | Team | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Gayle | 175* | 66 | RCB | Pune Warriors | 2013 |
| 2 | Brendon McCullum | 158* | 73 | KKR | RCB | 2008 |
| 3 | KL Rahul | 152* | 67 | Delhi Capitals | Punjab Kings | 2026 |
| 4 | Abhishek Sharma | 141 | 55 | SRH | Punjab Kings | 2025 |
| 5 | Quinton de Kock | 140* | 70 | LSG | KKR | 2022 |
5. Quinton de Kock – 140* (Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 2022)
Quinton de Kock scored 140* runs off 70 balls for LSG against KKR in 2022, forming part of a record-breaking opening stand with KL Rahul that season. The South African wicketkeeper-batter was at his destructive best, combining classical stroke play with power hitting to anchor a massive total.
His innings remains the fifth-highest individual score in IPL history and the highest ever by a South African in the competition.
4. Abhishek Sharma – 141 (Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings 2025)
Abhishek Sharma held the record for highest score by an Indian with a stunning 55-ball 141 for Sunrisers Hyderabad against the Punjab Kings in IPL 2025. The explosive SRH opener is known for his fearless approach and left-handed power hitting.
His record stood for just one season before KL Rahul surpassed it in 2026, but it remains one of the most brutal individual innings ever played in the league.
3. KL Rahul – 152* (Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2020)
KL Rahul made history in the Indian Premier League by scoring an unbeaten 152 in his latest outing against Punjab Kings in Delhi. This is now the highest individual score by an Indian in IPL history, breaking Abhishek Sharma’s previous record of 141 runs set against the same team in 2025.
He brought up his century off just 47 balls with a trademark drive through long-off against Marco Jansen, becoming the first DC batter to score a hundred this season and registering his sixth IPL century overall. Rahul’s 152* contributed 57.5% of DC’s total — the highest percentage contribution in any 250-plus team total in IPL history. Overall, Rahul now stands third on the all-time list of highest individual scores in IPL.
2. Brendon McCullum – 158* (Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2008)
It didn’t take long for the IPL to announce itself in emphatic fashion. On April 18, 2008, in the tournament’s very first match, Brendon McCullum blazed his way into cricketing folklore. Opening the innings for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore, McCullum smashed an unbeaten 158 off just 73 balls — a whirlwind assault laced with 13 sixes and 10 fours. His innings powered KKR to 222/3, making them the first team to breach the 200-run mark in IPL history.
It would take nothing less than a Gayle storm to dethrone McCullum’s record, which stood for five years. The New Zealander’s innings on that historic opening night set the tone for everything the IPL would go on to become.
1. Chris Gayle – 175* (Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Pune Warriors India, 2013)
Chris Gayle, the Jamaican powerhouse and one of T20 cricket’s most feared hitters, shattered the record with a mind-boggling unbeaten 175 off just 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against the now-defunct Pune Warriors in IPL 2013. Chris Gayle’s innings remains the highest individual score in the IPL and is the highest in all of T20 cricket. His knock, at a strike rate of 265.15, included 13 fours and a jaw-dropping 17 sixes.
Gayle raced to his half-century in just 17 balls and brought up his hundred in a mere 30 deliveries. The knock was forged at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, a venue that had witnessed plenty of fireworks, but never anything quite like this. Over a decade later, no batter has come close to threatening this record.
Read More: IPL 2025: Chetan Sakariya Replaces Injured Umran Malik at KKR
FAQs
Who holds the record for the highest individual score in IPL history?
Chris Gayle holds the record with an unbeaten 175 off 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in IPL 2013.
Which Indian player has the highest individual score in IPL?
KL Rahul’s 152* off 67 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2020 is the highest score by an Indian batter.
Which IPL season saw the first-ever 150+ score by a batter?
The inaugural IPL season in 2008 witnessed Brendon McCullum’s explosive 158* off 73 balls for Kolkata Knight Riders against RCB.
Who had the record for the highest individual score by an Indian before KL Rahul in IPL 2026?
Abhishek Sharma held the record with 141 off 55 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, before KL Rahul surpassed it in 2026.
Which IPL match had the highest-ever opening partnership featuring a player from this list?
Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul stitched a record 210-run opening stand for Lucknow Super Giants against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2022.
