With the IPL 2026 mega auction scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi and the tournament expected to run from March 15 to May 31, anticipation is already building. The player retention window for the upcoming season closed on November 15, 2025, with all ten franchises finalising their squads ahead of the high-stakes bidding.
As teams prepare their strategies, the league’s rich history continues to be shaped by a set of extraordinary records, many of which have remained untouched for years. Even during the explosive IPL 2025 season, where Sunrisers Hyderabad opened with a massive 286 against Rajasthan Royals, coming close to their own 2024 highest total, several milestones remain virtually impossible to surpass.
Below is a look at some of the IPL’s longest-standing and seemingly ‘unbreakable’ records.
Fastest Century: Chris Gayle’s 30-Ball Storm
Chris Gayle’s dominance is etched deeply into IPL history, and his 30-ball century stands as one of the most astonishing feats in T20 cricket.
During his iconic knock of 175 off 66 balls* in IPL 2013, Gayle smashed 17 sixes and 14 fours, producing the fastest hundred the league has ever seen. No player has come close to matching this level of destruction.
Also Read: From Rahul Dravid To Ricky Ponting: Top 10 Batters Who Faced The Most Balls In Test Cricket
Most Runs in an Over: Gayle Again on Top
In the same unforgettable 2013 match, Gayle set another jaw-dropping record, 37 runs in a single over off bowler Prasanth Parameshwaran.
This remains one of the most outrageous batting assaults witnessed in the IPL.
Most Runs in a Single IPL Season: Virat Kohli’s 973
A pillar of consistency across all 18 IPL seasons, Virat Kohli produced a record that continues to tower above every challenger.
His extraordinary 973 runs in the 2016 season, which included four centuries, has stayed untouched for eight years.
While Jos Buttler (863 runs in 2022 with four centuries) and Shubman Gill (890 runs in 2023 with three centuries) came close, neither could surpass the benchmark set by the RCB legend.
Highest Individual Score: Gayle’s Unmatched 175
The IPL’s highest individual score also belongs to Chris Gayle, his unbeaten 175 in 201, hammered against Pune Warriors in Bengaluru.
Gayle reached his century in just 30 balls. Gayle went on to hit 17 sixes.
Longest Winning Streak: Kolkata Knight Riders’ 10-Game Run
The Kolkata Knight Riders hold the record for the longest winning streak in IPL history – 10 consecutive victories. In a league where even eight wins often secure playoff berths, stringing together 10 straight wins remains one of the toughest challenges for any team.
Highest Partnership: Kohli and AB de Villiers’ 229-Run Marvel
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru duo of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers carved their names into IPL folklore with a 229-run partnership against Gujarat Lions in 2016. Remarkably, this effort broke their own previous record of 215 against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in May 2015.
Also Read: Top 5 Fastest Bowlers to 50 IPL Wickets: From Kagiso Rabada To Sunil Narine
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
