The Indian Premier League has given the fans a lot to cherish over the years with the best cricketers in action from around the world. The IPL has also stayed true to its idea of promoting Indian youngsters who have gone on to make it big in their careers. The competition’s platform, the aura, presence of world-class players and quality cricket have all contributed towards several top-notch records over the years. Records are an important aspect in any format of the game and the IPL here has made sure there has been plenty of it. Over the years, we have witnessed some major records that can stay on forever. These records will take a Herculean task to be broken. On the same note, we decode the records that can never be broken in the cash-rich league.
The magical 175*
T20 cricket witnessed magic in 2013 when Universe Boss Chris Gayle smashed an unbeaten 175 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore against the Pune Warriors at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. He smashed a 30-ball century and was unbeaten in the end, facing 66 balls. He smashed 14 fours and 17 sixes. This is the highest score achieved by any batsman in T20 cricket. This record could remain intact for many years to come. Only someone like Gayle can break this.
9 and counting
Veteran wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni has made it to nine finals in the IPL. He has appeared in eight finals for CSK and one for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant. Notably, MSD has gone on to win three of these finals with CSK. If Chennai manage to reach the finale of the upcoming IPL 2021 season, it will be the 10th occasion for Dhoni. Senior Indian batsman Rohit Sharma comes next on this list (six finals). MSD’s record is a unique one and this could remain for a long time.
Fastest century
In the knock of 175* Gayle set the record to be the fastest centurion in the format (30 balls). Since then, nobody has bettered this record. Indian youngster Rishabh Pant did hit a century off 32 balls for Delhi against Himachal Pradesh in 2018 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, in the IPL, the second-fastest centurion has been Yusuf Pathan (37 balls), who achieved the mark in 2010.
Kohli’s 2016 streak
RCB skipper Virat Kohli did the unthinkable in IPL 2016, amassing 973 runs in total. Apart from Kohli, no other player has crossed the 900-run mark in the competition. The next best has been David Warner, who scripted 848 runs in the same season Kohli got 973.
When RCB bludgeoned Warriors
Only one team has managed to score 250-plus in an innings in the IPL. RCB did so in 2016, scoring 263/5 against Pune in 2013. Since then only two sides, including RCB have scored 245-plus. This innings was largely due to Gayle’s 175* and the highest total could stay intact with RCB. Notably, this is the fourth-joint highest total in T20 cricket.