The Indian Premier League is the biggest domestic cricket tournament in the world. Started by the BCCI in 2008, the tournament has allowed cricket fans to witness some of the greatest matches between teams consisting of world-class players from different parts of the globe. In addition to offering top-notch entertainment to fans, the onset of IPL every year offers fans the opportunity to indulge in fantasy cricket games online.
Every year, many old records are broken by players, and new ones are set in their place. However, certain records in the tournament’s history may never be broken. Here are some seemingly unbreakable records in the prestigious domestic cricket tournament’s history:
Most Appearances by a Player in IPL Finals – Mahendra Singh Dhoni
The Indian Premier League’s inaugural edition was held almost 15 years ago. Since then, only a few teams have reached the finals multiple times. Moreover, only a few players have been a part of more than 5 IPL finals. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the only player in the entire history of IPL who has been a part of 10 IPL finals.
Besides leading the Chennai team to clinch the IPL trophy multiple times, Captain Cool has been a part of 9 IPL finals as a part of the Chennai Super Kings. In 2017, when Chennai’s team was not a part of the IPL, the ex-Indian skipper led the Rising Pune Supergiants to the season’s final match.
Given that only 16 editions of the IPL have been played, it would be safe to say making an appearance in 10 of them is an unbreakable record. The 2023 edition of the IPL is still underway, and given CSK’s current form, the chances of MS Dhoni making it to his 11th finals are very high.
Most Runs Scored in IPL Playoffs – Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina had been a part of the Chennai Super Kings ever since the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. He was a reliable batsman who never failed to put up runs on the board whenever the team needed it the most. Also referred to as “Mr. IPL,” Suresh Raina holds the record for most runs scored in IPL playoffs.
The phenomenal ex-India has etched his name in the history books forever by scoring 714 runs by just playing 24 innings. He is the only batsman in IPL history to achieve the feat. Players who follow him on the list include Mahendra Singh Dhoni (522 runs) and Shane Watson (389 runs). Given how no one has been able to come close, the record will probably remain untouched.
Most Consecutive Wins by a Team – Kolkata Knight Riders
Being the defending champions in the 2015 edition of the IPL, KKR had a reputation to uphold in front of their fans and opponents, which is one of the reasons they played exceptionally well throughout the tournament. They became the first-ever team in IPL history to win ten matches consecutively. Punjab Kings earlier held the record for the most consecutive wins, or as it was known back then, Kings XI Punjab, in the 2013-14 season, i.e., 8 wins.
Ever since the Kolkata side set up the record, even the most prominent teams like Mumbai Indians or Chennai Super Kings have been able to break the record. Hence, assuming that the record might just stay unbroken forever would not be wrong.
Most Runs in an IPL Season – Virat Kohli
Tons of top-tier batsmen play in all IPL teams in every edition. However, there are only a handful of them who are able to deliver good performance consistently. In the 2016 edition of the Indian Premier League, Virat Kohli won the Orange Cap by scoring the highest number of runs in the tournament.
However, the fact that he scored the highest number of runs ever by a player in a season in IPL history is more significant than the fact that he clinched the orange cap. Although his team did not manage to clinch the IPL title, Kohli proved that he did the best he could, both as a batsman and a skipper.
No player until now has managed to break the record of scoring 973 runs throughout the tournament. Given how the figure is very hard to achieve, it would be safe to call the record unbreakable.
Relevant Read: 5 Players who might break Virat’s Record of 973 Runs in an IPL Season
Most Sixes Hit in a Match – Chris Gayle
Over the years, many batsmen have managed to vow the audience with their antic batting skills. However, no player comes close to West Indian Chris Gayle in this aspect. The player is known for hitting big shots irrespective of which bowler he faces. He is known for his signature “Gayle Storm” innings, which is one of the many reasons why even the best bowlers feel tensed when putting in deliveries to him. Chris Gayle holds the astonishing record of hitting 16 sixes in a single match.
In a match against Pune Warriors India in 2013, Chris Gayle scored 175 runs in just 66 balls, making it his personal best. The record for hitting the most sixes in a match was held by Brendon McCullum (13 sixes). Many players have tried, but no one has yet come close to breaking Gayle’s remarkable record.
Final Thoughts:
Although records are set to be broken, the chances of the ones mentioned above being broken are minimal. Hence, it will be fair to label them as unbreakable or unbeatable records in the tournament’s history.
