A look at unique batting records in IPL
The 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) edition is around the corner. Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will meet Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opener on March 22. Last year, the cash-rich league saw several batting records tumble. Shubman Gill finished with 890 runs, the second-highest aggregate for a player in a season. Have a look at some unique batting records in the IPL.
Most runs for a franchise
In 2023, Virat Kohli became the only batter to touch the 7,000-run mark in the IPL. He is currently the highest run-scorer in IPL history. Interestingly, Kohli also has the most IPL runs for a franchise (RCB). He remains the only cricketer to have represented a single team in each of the 16 seasons so far (2008-2023).
Seventeen tons by RCB
It is worth noting that RCB have recorded the most centuries by a team in the IPL (17), with Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals following them. Notably, seven of RCB's hundreds have been scored by Kohli, the most by a batter in the tournament. Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers follow Kohli with five and two centuries, respectively.
Highest score in IPL finals
Shane Watson holds the record for the highest score in IPL finals. He scored an unbeaten 117 in the 2018 final, helping Chennai Super Kings (CSK) clinch the coveted trophy. In 2014, Wriddhiman Saha became the first-ever batter with a ton in IPL finals. His unbeaten 115 powered Kings XI Punjab to 199 against Kolkata Knight Riders. However, the Knight Riders chased it down.
50+ scores for two teams in IPL finals
Saha also scripted history in the IPL 2023 final. He smashed a 39-ball 54 as Gujarat Titans compiled 214/4 against CSK. At 38 years and 217 days, Saha became the oldest batter to score a half-century in the IPL final, breaking Watson's record. The former also became the first player to record 50+ scores for two teams in IPL finals.
MS Dhoni's final-over exploits
CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's final-over IPL heroics require no introduction. The beloved 'Thala' has been at his destructive best in the death overs. He remains the only player with over 500 runs in the 20th over in the tournament. He owns 715 runs at an astronomical average of 242.74. The tally includes 59 sixes, the most by a fair distance.
Warner's tryst with Orange Cap
David Warner is the only batter to bag the Orange Cap thrice. He finished as the highest run-scorer 2015 (562 runs), 2017 (641 runs), and 2019 (692 runs). Warner smashed 848 runs in 2016 but lost the Orange Cap to Kohli, who tallied a record 973 runs. Notably, Gayle is the only other player to win this award multiple times (2011 and 2012).
Strike rate of over 204 in IPL 2019
The dangerous Andre Russell finished the 2019 IPL season with a strike rate of 204.80. Therefore, he received the Electric Striker of the Season Award. Russell is the only player to have struck at over 200 in a IPL season.
A look at other notable numbers
Russell is the only batter with a strike rate of over 170 (174.00) in the IPL. Gayle (36 vs KTK, 2011) and Ravindra Jadeja (36 vs RCB, 2021) have scored the joint-most runs in an over in an IPL match. The former remains the only player to have struck over 15 maximums in an IPL match (17 vs PWI, 2013).
