The Indian Premier League (IPL), ever since its launch in 2008, has been a stage where dynamite cricketing performances and moments that are not easily forgotten have taken place.
As the much-awaited IPL 2025 approaches its start date of March 22, it’s time to revisit some of the greatest and rarest IPL records that have remained unbeaten to date. Not only are these records unbelievable, they’re so unbelievably unique that they may never be surpassed.
Rare IPL Records, Unbreakable feats
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1. Highest Number of Playoff Appearances by a Team: Chennai Super Kings (12 Times)
Chennai Super Kings is perhaps the most successful and consistent team in the IPL and holds the record for the most playoff appearances. Out of all the seasons of IPL going back 16, CSK has made it to the playoffs a grand 12th times, a feat no other team has even gotten close to.
Even after a two-year ban, CSK’s league dominance has yet to be paralleled. Mumbai Indians are not far behind either with 10 playoff entries, but no team can match the consistency of CSK across IPL history. Both CSK and MI have won the IPL title five times, making them the titans of the tournament.
2. Most Runs in a Single IPL Match: 549 Runs
While there have been many high-scoring matches in the IPL, the match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challenger Bengaluru in 2024 is still the highest-scoring match in the history of IPL. This high-scoring encounter produced a total of 549 runs in the game. Batting first, SRH will back a total of 287, while Royal Challenger Bengaluru ended with 262. This will probably remain an unbroken record for the most runs in a single match for a long time.
3. Most Consecutive Team Wins: Kolkata Knight Riders (10 Wins)
When it comes to streaks, KKR holds the record for the most consecutive wins by a team in IPL history. KKR, under the captaincy of Gambhir, had 10 consecutive wins during the 2014 season.
Not only did they remain unbeaten in the entire 2014 season, but they also started off the 2015 season by winning their first match. This record for 10 consecutive wins stands unbroken to date, and it is a tough ask for any team to match such sustained success.
4. Highest Runs Scored in an Over: Chris Gayle and Ravindra Jadeja (37 Runs)
Scoring big runs in an over is something really common when it comes to T20 cricket, but Chris Gayle and Ravindra Jadeja have pushed it even further.
The two players have the distinction of hammering 37 runs in one over in the game of IPL. Gayle made the record in 2011 while Jadeja came close in a match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). These are seen as among individual competitive feats and records inside the IPL which might never be equaled.
5. Most Maiden Overs in an IPL Match: Mohammed Siraj
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One cannot deny that bowling a maiden over in T20 is rare. The latter, however, was made all the more special with Mohammed Siraj doing something of a different feat altogether in the 2020 IPL season. Siraj, who played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), bowled not one but two maiden overs in the same game against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Such a performance, with three wickets taken by Siraj, shall go down in the history of the IPL. With the kind of play there currently is in T20 cricket, however, who could foresee any bowler doing such a thing shortly?
6. Fastest Century in IPL: Chris Gayle (30 Balls)
One of those legendary moments in the history of IPL was when Chris Gayle struck the fastest century of all time in the league. Gayle scored that majestic hundred in just 30 balls during the IPL 2013 season, a mark which still stands undefeated.
With a monster score of 175 runs off 66 balls, he graduated to claim another record for most runs scored by an individual, thus anointing him as the greatest destructive batsman of IPL history. So far, no cricketer has even come close to breaking either of these records so it seems unlikely that either will be beaten.
7. Highest Individual Score in an IPL Innings: Chris Gayle (175 Runs)
Chris Gayle’s explosive batting has seen him achieve the record for the highest individual score in an IPL match. In a 2013 game against Sahara Pune Warriors, Gayle hammered an astonishing 175 runs off 66 balls, an innings featuring 17 sixes. This record is the highest-ever personal score in a T20 game, and no batsman has even approached breaking it, which makes it one of the most unbreakable and rarest records in IPL history.
8. Most Runs in a Single IPL Season: Virat Kohli (973 Runs)
Virat Kohli put a stamp on the 2016 IPL with one of the greatest batting displays of all time. He accounted for 973 runs in one season, which included four centuries and seven half-centuries.
There has been no other player close to even breaking this record since. Kohli’s 973 runs in IPL 2016 remain the most runs scored in a single season and are a testament to the consistency this young man exhibits and his prowess in delivering when under pressure.
9. Most Matches as Captain: MS Dhoni (226 Matches)
One of the largest match captains in IPL history is, you guessed right, the iconic captain of Chennai Super Kings, MS Dhoni. Under his captaincy, Dhoni has played a total of 226 matches in IPL of which he has won 133.
His calm personality, alongside his enormous strategic mind, made him one of the most successful captains in the history of the IPL. While Rohit Sharma conducted two more second-place with 158 matches as captain, Dhoni’s captaincy record will be hard to beat, which adds to his stature in the IPL folklore.
IPL’s Rare and Unbreakable Records
The IPL has seen numerous records set and broken over the years, but some achievements are so extraordinary that they seem almost impossible to break. From Chris Gayle’s scorching innings to Virat Kohli’s record-breaking run total, these IPL record-breakers of rarity are now a part of IPL history. As we count down to the IPL 2025, it is unclear if any new records will be created, but these legendary achievements are bound to last for years to come.
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