The T20 format is often seen as the most intriguing form of the game because of its uncertainty and game-changing nature. Moreover, the game has evolved in the last few years as high-scoring matches have become routine.
Especially, the IPL, which is the biggest T20I league in the world is celebrated as a festival song by cricket enthusiasts. As a result, boundaries and maximums have emerged as a crucial part of the hard-hitting and quick format where new records are being set often.
Similar scenes were witnessed on Wednesday when Sunrisers Hyderabad scored 277 runs in the first innings. Interestingly, Mumbai Indians also pushed the SRH bowlers to an extent, where the match looked like anyone’s game. However, it’s not the first time, the IPL has witnessed such scorelines in the past too.
As a result, let’s take a look at the top 5 highest team totals scored by teams in the history of the Indian Premier League:
#5 Mumbai Indians: 246/5 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2023
Mumbai Indians broke Rajasthan Royals‘ record of highest runs in the second innings by accumulating a score of 246 against Sunrisers Hyderabad during their recent outing. The Royals defeated the Punjab Kings in 2020 at Sharjah after they completed a run chase by scoring 226 runs. However, the record has now been broken by Mumbai Indians in the ongoing campaign of the IPL.
After Sunrisers Hyderabad gave a target of 278 to the Indians, Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan gave a firey start to the five-time IPL champions. However, both opening batters lost their wickets in the powerplay. Following SRH on the scoreboard, Mumbai Indians crossed the 150-run mark before 11 overs as Tilak Varma played a remarkable 64-run knock.
However, Indians’ new captain Hardik Pandya played a slow innings with a strike rate of 120, only scoring 24 runs off 20 deliveries. In the final few overs, Tim David tried pulling Mumbai back into the safe zone but it was too late as they lost the match by a margin of 31 runs.
The match broke numerous records as the highest number of combined runs, 523, were scored in the game. In addition to that, the most number of sixes in a single match, 38, were smashed in the game.
#4 Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 248/3 vs Gujarat Lions, 2016
Kohli and de Villiers scored centuries against Gujarat Lions to lead RCB to a total of 248 runs
Three-time IPL runner-ups Royal Challengers Bengaluru are one of the teams in the tournament who have failed to lift the silverware. In 2016, they faced Brendon McCullum’s Gujarat Lions in the 44th match of the season. West Indies Legend Chris Gayle lost his wicket early in the match but the incredible partnership of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers gave the Lions a tough time in Bengaluru.
RCB only garnered 42 runs in powerplay as it seemed like the hosts were playing safe. De Villiers later completed his half-century in 25 while Kohli scored his fifty in 39 balls. However, in the last six overs, the top-order batters decided to run a rampage at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Kohli completed his ton in 53 deliveries while ABD took only 43 balls to reach the milestone.
With aggressive batting, the Royal Challengers scored a total of 248 runs in the first innings. Gujarat Lions failed to reach the target as they were all-out at 104 in 18.4 overs. RCB won the match by 144 runs, which is the second-biggest winning margin in the history of the Indian Premier League.
#3 Lucknow Super Giants: 256/5 against Punjab Kings, 2023
In the last few years, the shortest format of cricket has caught up with a menacing pace. With high-paced action, the batters have started playing unconventional and risky shots. Something similar was witnessed in 2023 when KL Rahul’s Lucknow Super Giants faced Shikhar Dhawan’s Punjab Kings at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.
Batting first, Rahul lost his wicket early, however, Kyle Mayers and Ayush Badoni decided to make the fans witness a boundaries fest. Mayers completed his half-century in 20 deliveries as LSG crossed the 150-run mark in the 12th over. Marcus Stoinis also played an important 72-run innings off 40 deliveries, which guided Lucknow towards a majestic total of 257.
Punjab Kings eventually failed to chase the score as they managed to score 201 runs in 20 overs as LSG won the match by 56 runs. Marcus Stoinis was named the Player of the Match for his brilliant performance.
#2 Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 263/5 against Pune Warriors India, 2013
The record which once looked impossible to overcome, has been broken. In 2013, Pune Warriors India faced Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In the initial five overs, the Royal Challengers scored 50 runs.
Chris Gayle played an unforgettable 175-run innings against PWI in 2013
Former West Indies all-rounder Chris Gayle stepped on the accelerator and completed his half-century in 17 runs and took only 13 move deliveries to score a century. On the other side, Tillakaratne Dilshan was rotating the strike for the Jamaican cricketer. Gayle was toning huge shots from one side as AB de Villiers also played an incredible finishing inning of 31 runs off 8 deliveries to push the score forward.
Gayle scored the highest individual score in the history of the tournament, 175 runs off 66 balls, which included 13 boundaries and 17 maximums. For more than ten years, no team managed to break the record as the Royal Challengers annihilated Pune’s bowling line-up utterly in the game.
#1 Sunrisers Hyderabad: 277/3 against Mumbai Indians, 2024
Sunrisers Hyderabad, who were once famous for their bowling line-up and ability to defend small totals have topped this list. In the 2024 season, Australian all-rounder Pat Cummins has been responsible for leading the Sunrisers after Aiden Markram was stripped of his captaincy.
The 2016 IPL champions lost the first game by a slight margin, however, they broke one of the most strenuous records in the history of the T20I competition in their second match. Playing against Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad tonked a mammoth total of 277 runs in 20 overs.
SRH started slowly in the initial few overs of the powerplay, however, with the help of Travis Head’s 18-ball half-century and Abhishek Sharma’s 16-ball fifty, the Sunrisers crossed the 100-run mark in seven overs.
After 11 overs, SRH were at 161 runs with the loss of three. However, Pandya then introduced Jaspirt Bumrah again, who had three overs remaining in the game. Bumrah bowled a decent spell conceding 36 runs in four overs.
Heinrich Klaasen gave the final touches to the innings with his heroic 80-run knock in 37 deliveries, which guided the Sunrisers to the highest team total in the history of the IPL. Interestingly, the Hyderabad-based franchise has also scored their lost score against Mumbai, 96, in 2019.