Top 5 Biggest Hitters in IPL History

The cricket festival is about to begin! The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is set to kick off on March 22, 2024, with a match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Throughout the years, there have been some amazing and powerful innings played by top cricketers. Here’s a look at the top 5 batsmen who have scored the most runs in a single IPL match, ever! It’s worth noting that only one Indian player made it to the list, while the others are from different countries.

 

Chris Gayle

This legendary player, nicknamed “Universe Boss,” holds the record for the highest individual score in IPL history with a whopping 175 runs in just 66 balls! He achieved this feat in 2013 while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors. He reached his century in just 30 balls, hitting 13 fours and 17 sixes. Bangalore posted a massive total of 263/5 and won the match by a whopping 130 runs. Incredible!

 

Brendon McCullum

This former New Zealand captain set the IPL on fire way back in the first season itself. In the very first match of the inaugural IPL season, Brendon McCullum made a spectacular entrance by scoring 158 runs off 73 balls for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Talk about starting strong! His unbeaten inning included 10 fours and 13 sixes, leading Kolkata to a comfortable victory by 140 runs.

 

Quinton de Kock

The South African player Quinton de Kock had a fantastic knock in 2022, scoring 140 runs in just 70 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders while playing for Lucknow Super Giants. He and his teammate KL Rahul together scored a massive 210 runs featuring 10 fours and as many sixes, securing Lucknow Super Giants a dominant victory, without losing a single wicket.

 

AB de Villiers

This South African batsman is known for his amazing run-scoring skills. In 2015, playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore, AB de Villiers scored 133 runs in just 59 balls against Mumbai Indians. Playing a remarkable innings, He and teammate Virat Kohli put up a huge partnership of 215 runs, smashing 19 fours and 4 sixes! Royal Challengers Bangalore won the match by 39 runs.

 

KL Rahul

The only Indian batsman on this list, KL Rahul holds the record for the highest individual score by an Indian player in the IPL. In 2020, he scored 132 runs in just 69 balls, including 14 fours and 7 sixes while playing for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) against the Bangalore team.

 

Player	Runs	Balls	Against	Sixes	Fours	Strike Rate
Chris Gayle	175*	66	PWI	17	13	265.15
Brendon McCullum	158*	73	RCB	13	10	216.43
Quinton de Kock	140*	70	KKR	10	10	200
AB de Villiers	133*	59	MI	4	19	225.42
KL Rahul	132*	69	RCB	7	14	191.3