The following are the top 10 Indian Premier League innings:
3) Yusuf Pathan: 100 (37) – RR vs MI, 13 May 2010
No other IPL innings was almost exclusively constructed upon the big hits as this particular innings from senior Pathan was. This can be seen from the fact that during his brief stay at the crease for 37 deliveries Pathan scored at the strike rate 270.27. In his innings 84 % of runs came in boundaries. Pathan hit 9 fours, and 8 sixes durinng that innings.
With the required run rate going over 14 very early in his innings, Yusuf knew there was only one way to come back in this match and that was to, or more preferably, clear the ropes. What then followed was an array of massive slogs all around the ground to bring up the fastest IPL century, at that time, and the equal third-fastest in all Twenty20 cricket. Rajasthan Royals, though, lost the match by five runs.
2) Brendon McCullum: 158* (73) – KKR vs RCB, 18 April 2008
It was first-ever IPL match, where an innings was played by a certain gentleman called Brendon McCullum – went onto signal the arrival of a new era in cricket.
It was hard to believe at that time, but Kiwi batsman Brendon McCullum’s heroics in the first game of the inaugural edition of IPL defined what IPL cricket is all about. Some even say it changed cricket forever.
Before the tournament began, there were lot of people around the world who had doubts about the IPL format. Twenty overs later, the cricket lovers were in awe of this innings which was constructed on stunning display of timing and power. He combined orthodox strokes with ugly slogs on his way to 158 not out, which remained the highest individual score by a batsman in Twenty20 cricket for five years until Chris Gayle broke it last year.
1) Chris Gayle: 175*(66) – RCB vs PWI, 23 April 2013
The records tumbled left, right, and center in what was an all-time great power hitting display from Jamaican Chris Gayle. On a different note we could have included any of about six or seven of Chris Gayle’s innings for this list, but this innings was by far the most extraordinary and could well be among the most brutal innings in cricket history. Gayle’s 175 not out against Pune Warriors India in 2013 included as many as 17 sixes as he reached his hundred off just 30 balls, the fastest ever in a competitive cricket match.
In fact, on that day Gayle broke a whopping ten records. It was an exhibition in hitting a cricket ball which left the opposition (bowlers and fielders) more or less irrelevant. As IPL cricket goes who knows someday we may find another contender to rival Gayle’s 175*, but for now, there is no one as frightening a sight on a cricket field than Gayle with a bat on his side.
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