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It’s almost been 13 years, but the record for the highest individual score is being held by Universe Boss Chris Gayle. Back on April 23, 2013, the left-hander unleashed hell at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. While playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Gayle put the Pune Warriors bowlers to the swords.
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Chris Gayle’s highest IPL score
Barring Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who gave away runs at less than a run-a-ball, and Luke Wright, none of the Pune bowlers could get the measure of Gayle, who wasn’t in the mood to show mercy on anyone. Gayle scored 175 runs off 66 balls and helped RCB post a mammoth score of 263 for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs.
En route to his knock, Gayle smashed 13 fours and as many as 17 sixes. Gayle batted until the very end and played at a stupendous strike rate of 265.15. Gayle was severe on Mitchell Marsh, Ali Murtuza and Aaron Finch.
In the six overs that Marsh, Murtuza and Finch bowled, the Challengers plundered 130 runs at an economy rate of 21.67. Ashok Dinda was the pick of the bowlers for Pune, but he leaked runs at an economy rate of 12. Fast bowler Ishwar Pandey was also taken to the cleaners as he gave away 33 runs in the two overs he bowled.
Gayle got an apt partner in AB de Villiers, who smacked his way to an 8-ball knock of 31 with the help of three fours and as many sixes. If the overs of Kumar and Wright are taken out of the equation, Pune conceded 214 runs from 12 overs.
In reply to RCB’s colossal score, Pune failed to make much of an impact, getting restricted to 133 for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs. It was Gayle’s day without a shred of a doubt as he finished with figures of 1-0-5-2.
Gayle picked up the wickets of Ali Murtuza and Ishwar Pandey, although by that time the writing was already on the wall for Pune. Gayle became the Player of the Match after RCB secured victory by 130 runs in the crucial IPL match.
Back in 2011, RCB roped in Gayle and from there on, he played seven seasons for them. In fact, he went unsold initially that year after staying with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for three seasons. However, luck favoured him as he was picked as a replacement for fast bowler Dirk Nannes.
But apart from the knock, the highest IPL score, that Gayle played, there has been plenty of other knocks that kept the audience glued to their television sets.
McCullum’s heroics
Back in 2008, Bangalore witnessed another batting spectacle, that time by Brendon McCullum, who lit up the venue with his venomous stroke play. It was the first match in the history of the IPL and the right-handed batter played one of the greatest knocks in the history of the tournament, recording the highest IPL score at the time.
McCullum played for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and scored 158 runs off 73 balls, the highest IPL score, with the help of 10 fours and 13 sixes. After being put in to bat first, the Men in Gold and Purple scored 222 for the loss of three wickets on the back of McCullum’s stupendous knock.
McCullum played at a strike rate of 216.43 to make sure that the RCB bowlers didn’t get any sort of breather. Left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi was the most economical bowler for the Challengers after he conceded 26 runs off three overs, although he failed to pick up a wicket.
In reply to KKR’s colossal score, RCB were bowled out for 82 in 18.1 overs. McCullum won the Player of the Match award after KKR won the match by 140 runs to open their account in the tournament. McCullum also took the catch of Joshi to give Laxmi Ratan Shukla a crucial wicket.
De Kock goes berserk
Back in May 2022, South African batter Quinton de Kock registered the third highest IPL score in the history of the IPL. The left-hander scored 140 runs off 70 balls while playing for the Lucknow Super Giants in their match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the DY Patil Stadium.
De Kock hit 10 fours and as many sixes, helping his team score 210 in 20 overs. De Kock was also involved in an unbeaten 210-run stand with KL Rahul, who scored 68 runs off 51 balls with three fours and four sixes.
Tim Southee and Andre Russell had to bear the brunt of some brutal power-hitting from De Kock. The duo conceded 102 runs from seven overs and bowled only six dot balls De Kock went on to win the Player of the Match award after the Super Giants won the match by two runs.
Rinku Singh and Sunil Narine almost threatened to take the match away from the Super Giants, but their efforts went in vain. Marcus Stoinis was hit for 16 runs in the first three balls of the last over, but he held his nerve to take his team past the finish line.
De Villiers shows his power
Back in 2015, AB de Villiers showed what he was capable of. While playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the former South African batter scored 133 off 59 balls, the highest IPL score by an RCB player at the time, with 19 fours and four sixes against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. RCB went on to amass 235 for the loss of one wicket after De Villiers went berserk.
De Villiers was also involved in a partnership of 215 runs off 16.5 overs along with Virat Kohli, who scored 82 runs off 50 balls with six fours and four sixes. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya had to bear the brunt of some brutal power-hitting from De Villiers.
De Villiers went on to bag the Player of the Match award after RCB restricted MI to 196 for the loss of seven wickets. Lendl Simmons scored 68, but his efforts went in vain. De Villiers also took a catch in the outfield to dismiss Ambati Rayudu, who scored 14 runs off four balls.
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