Highest Individual Score in IPL History: Gayle’s 175 and Every Big Innings Listed
🚨 Chris Gayle’s unbeaten 175 off just 66 balls against Pune Warriors in 2013 is the highest individual score in IPL history, a record that has survived 12 years and looks almost impossible to break. IPL 2026 starts March 28 and the complete IPL 2026 schedule is live with every match date and venue.
Highest Individual Score in IPL: Top 20 Innings Ever
These are the biggest individual knocks ever played in IPL history across all 17 seasons. Every innings on this list changed a match and most of them are remembered as defining moments of the tournament.
| Rank | Player | Score | Against | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Gayle | 175* | Pune Warriors | 2013 |
| 2 | Brendon McCullum | 158* | RCB | 2008 |
| 3 | Abhishek Sharma | 141 | Punjab Kings | 2025 |
| 4 | Quinton de Kock | 140* | KKR | 2022 |
| 5 | AB de Villiers | 133* | MI | 2015 |
| 6 | KL Rahul | 132* | RCB | 2020 |
| 7 | AB de Villiers | 129* | Gujarat Lions | 2016 |
| 8 | Shubman Gill | 129 | MI | 2023 |
| 9 | Chris Gayle | 128* | Delhi | 2012 |
| 10 | Rishabh Pant | 128* | SRH | 2018 |
| 11 | Murali Vijay | 127 | RR | 2010 |
| 12 | David Warner | 126 | KKR | 2017 |
| 13 | Marcus Stoinis | 124* | CSK | 2024 |
| 14 | Jos Buttler | 124 | SRH | 2021 |
| 15 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | 124 | MI | 2023 |
Chris Gayle’s 175: The Innings That Redefined IPL Batting
April 23, 2013. That is the date every cricket fan should know. Playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Pune Warriors at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Chris Gayle walked out to bat and proceeded to dismantle the bowling attack in a way nobody had ever seen before in T20 cricket.
He hit 17 sixes and 13 fours in that innings. His strike rate was 265.15. He reached his century off just 30 balls, which remains the fastest century in IPL history. The total he helped RCB post was 263/5, a score that Pune Warriors never came close to chasing.
What makes the record so hard to beat is that Gayle had a specific combination of power, timing and pure aggression that very few batters in the history of the game have possessed. Even in an era where batting has become far more aggressive than 2013, nobody has gone past 175 in 12 years.
Chris Gayle IPL Record Innings Breakdown
| Detail | Stats |
|---|---|
| Score | 175* |
| Balls Faced | 66 |
| Fours | 13 |
| Sixes | 17 |
| Strike Rate | 265.15 |
| Opponent | Pune Warriors |
| Venue | Chinnaswamy Stadium |
Brendon McCullum’s 158: The Innings That Launched IPL
While Gayle holds the record, Brendon McCullum’s 158 not out on the very first night of the very first IPL match in 2008 is arguably the more important innings in the tournament’s history. Playing for Kolkata Knight Riders against RCB in Bangalore, McCullum came out and attacked from ball one.
That innings told the world what IPL cricket was going to be about. It set the tone for an entire tournament, an entire format and an entire generation of batters who grew up watching it. KKR posted 222/3 and won by 140 runs, and every team in the competition immediately understood that T20 cricket had changed forever.
Active Players Who Could Challenge the Record in IPL 2026
The highest individual score record has come under serious threat in recent seasons. Abhishek Sharma’s 141 in IPL 2025 for SRH against Punjab Kings is the closest anyone has come to Gayle’s record in over a decade. His innings proved that the record is not completely untouchable.
These are the active batters most capable of threatening 175 in IPL 2026:
- Abhishek Sharma, already holds the third-highest score ever with 141 and bats with Gayle-level aggression at the top of the order for SRH
- Travis Head, one of the most explosive openers in world cricket who can decimate any bowling attack when he gets going
- Jos Buttler, three scores above 106 in IPL and has the technique and power to go very deep
- Yashasvi Jaiswal, scored 124 against MI in 2023 and his strike rate of 152 shows he has the capacity to go big fast
- Nicholas Pooran, strike rate of 168 in IPL and capable of an extraordinary innings on his day
Check the full IPL 2026 squad lists to confirm which of these players are in their franchise squads this season. Stay updated with match scores and individual batting performances through the IPL 2026 live results and standings updated after every game.
FAQs
What is the highest individual score in IPL history?
Chris Gayle’s 175 not out off 66 balls for RCB against Pune Warriors on April 23, 2013 is the highest individual score in IPL history.
How many sixes did Gayle hit in his record 175 innings?
Gayle hit 17 sixes and 13 fours in that innings at a strike rate of 265.15. He reached his century off just 30 balls.
What is the second highest individual score in IPL?
Brendon McCullum’s 158 not out for KKR against RCB on April 18, 2008 in the very first IPL match ever played is the second highest individual score.
Who has the highest individual score in IPL among active players?
Abhishek Sharma holds the highest score among currently active IPL players with 141 runs for SRH against Punjab Kings in IPL 2025.
Has any batter come close to breaking Gayle’s 175 record recently?
Yes. Abhishek Sharma scored 141 in IPL 2025, the closest any batter has come to Gayle’s record in over a decade. Before that, Quinton de Kock’s 140 not out in 2022 was the nearest challenger.
Which venue has seen the most highest individual scores in IPL?
Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has seen the most record-breaking individual innings in IPL history, including Gayle’s 175 and several other scores above 110.
