The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a stage for some of the most thrilling and high-scoring matches in the history of cricket. With the advent of T20 cricket, teams have increasingly looked to pile on the runs in order to secure victory. Recently, the Lucknow team joined an elite group of teams to score 250 runs or more in a single innings, becoming only the second team after Bangalore to achieve this feat. In this article, we will take a look at the top five highest team totals in IPL history, complete with pictures that showcase the power-hitting and skill that went into these historic innings.
Chris Gayle set out to break records in the 2013 IPL season, and he did just that with the fastest T20 century of all time. He smashed his first 50 runs off 17 balls and followed it up with the next 50 off just 13 balls, eventually scoring an unbeaten 175 runs off just 66 balls. AB de Villiers also played a part in RCB’s win, as they set the highest-ever IPL total and beat Pune Warriors India by a whopping 130 runs.
Lucknow Super Giants made history in an evening match against the Punjab Kings at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Friday, scoring the second-highest team total ever in IPL with a stunning 257/5. Led by Kyle Mayers’ quick fifty and explosive batting from Ayush Badoni and Marcus Stoinis, LSG’s batting attack overwhelmed PBKS on a pitch that heavily favoured the batsmen. Stoinis contributed a 40-ball 72 before falling, while Nicholas Pooran added a 19-ball 45. Both Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada were punished, conceding more than 50 runs in their four overs.
One of the most memorable high-scoring matches in IPL history took place at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore in 2016. Despite a shaky start that saw Chris Gayle dismissed early, the crowd was treated to a dazzling partnership between Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Kohli was patient at first, taking 40 balls to reach his first 50 runs, but then exploded for the next 59 runs off just 15 balls to end with 109 off 55. De Villiers was unbeaten on 129 off 52, and their partnership of 229 runs is the second-highest ever in T20s. RCB won the match in a landslide victory, with Gujarat Lions being dismissed for just 104.
Murali Vijay played one of the finest innings ever in IPL history during an afternoon match in Chennai in the 2010 season. Chennai Super Kings had been struggling for consistency, but Vijay’s partnership with Albie Morkel saw them post an imposing total of 246/5. Vijay made an incredible 127 off just 56 balls, while Morkel contributed 62 off 34. Rajasthan Royals fell short, managing only 223/5 in response.
In the 2018 IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders had a formidable batting lineup that could strike fear into the hearts of their opponents. In an afternoon match in Indore, they had to win at all costs to stay in the competition. Sunil Narine, who was KKR’s makeshift pinch-hitting opener, gave them a brilliant start by scoring 75 runs off just 36 balls. However, it was the crucial partnership between Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell that pushed KKR’s score beyond the reach of the Punjab team. Karthik, KKR’s skipper at the time, played an outstanding knock of 50 off just 23 balls, while the big West Indian, Russell, got 31 runs off just 14 balls. Some late cameos were also important in helping KKR reach a final score of 245 for 6.
