Indian Premier League was the first of its kind when it was introduced in 2008. It took the world by storm and changed the dynamics of playing the game. After the introduction of the IPL, other nations also introduced their own T20 franchise league. However, the IPL has now become the biggest cricket league in the world.
And, as the world’s first T20 league, it has some incredible records that are nearly impossible to break. Almost every big superstar has been part of this cash-rich league. And when big names play in a competition, records get broken so often. In this article, we will cover the list of IPL records that are almost impossible to break.
1. Virat Kohli – 973 runs in 2016 season
Virat Kohli is just a beast when it comes to scoring runs at any stage and at any level. He himself has set some records that are unbreakable, and one of his records that is just impossible to overcome is the highest run in a single edition. 2016 was a dream year for Virat Kohli in the IPL and for Royal Challengers Bangalore. RCB played the final, and it was skipper Virat Kohli who led him. Virat scored 973 runs in just 16 innings at an average of 81.08 and a strike rate of 150.03 with four centuries and seven half-centuries. His 973 runs is a record; Jos Buttler’s tally of 863 in the 2022 season is the second highest.
2. Chris Gayle – 175 not out vs Pune Warriors in 2013
170-plus in T20 cricket is considered a pretty good total for any team. But can you imagine that a player himself scores over 170 runs. That’s what you get when Chris Gayle is around. The hard-hitting openers hold the record for the highest ever score by a batter in all of T20 cricket (domestic, league, and international), which came in the 2013 IPL season. He was playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore and smashed 175 not out against Pune Warriors off just 66 balls, with 13 fours and 17 sixes. RCB made 263/5 and restricted Pune to 133/9 to win by 130 runs.
3. Chennai Super Kings – 9 IPL finals
IPL is arguably the toughest league in the game, because it a total of 10 teams, which has best cricketers from the planet in it. Thus, it takes a lot for a team to finish in the top four or top two. But when it comes to consistency, no other IPL franchise can match what the Chennai Super Kings bring to the table. CSK is the only team in history to be part of all nine IPL finals, winning four while ending as runners-up in five seasons. The second best is Mumbai Indians with six appearances in IPL finals. CSK has won in 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021 and ended as runners-up in 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2019.
4. Alzarri Joseph – 6/12 for MI against SRH in 2019
The bowler’s prime job in T20 cricket is to restrict the batters from scoring quick runs. And in his four-over bowling spell, if he takes 2-3 wickets, it is a bonus for his team. Alzarri Joseph has recorded a magical bowling figure of 6/12, which is the best in the history of the IPL. His 6/12 is near-impossible to break by any other bowler, because it is just a rare sight for a bowler to take six wickets in four overs. He recorded this figure against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2019 season. MI made 136/7 and dismissed SRH for 96 runs to win by 40 runs.
5. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers – 229-run stand in 2016
Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers are two of the biggest icons that the game has ever seen. And when these two bat together, there is no better sight. That’s what happened on May 14, 2016, when RCB took on Gujarat Lions in Bengaluru. These two recorded the highest partnership in IPL and the second highest in any form of T20 cricket. Batting first, RCB made 248/3, with Virat and De Villiers scoring centuries and adding 229 runs for the second wicket. Virat made 109 off 55, while De Villiers scored 129 off 52 to add the biggest IPL partnership for any wicket. Gujarat got dismissed for 104, and RCB won by 144 runs. It is a huge task for anyone to break this record.