How Many Maximum Runs Have Been Scored in a Single Over in IPL?
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has always been about the batters dominating the game with their explosive style, smashing the bowlers out of the park. But fans get even more excited when it comes to massive scoring overs, where the bowlers are absolutely wrecked by the attacking abilities of the batsmen.
Throughout its history, there have been various big overs in the IPL, where the batters have scored 30, 33, and even 36 runs in just an over. From strong hitters like Chris Gayle to finishers like Ravindra Jadeja, these players showed that the game can be turned even in a single over, by smashing more than the bowler could expect. In this blog, we will be taking a look at the top 6 biggest overs in IPL history, where the batsmen were able to dominate the bowlers with ease.
1. Chris Gayle (37 Runs vs KTK)
Chris Gayle has been one of the most aggressive opening batsmen in IPL history, known for his ability to smash massive sixes from the first ball. This is the reason why Gayle tops the list of scoring the most runs in an over, as this happened during the IPL 2011 season when RCB went against Kochi Tuskers Kerala. In the 50th match, KTK presented a target of just 126 runs to RCB.
The third over of the chase, being bowled by Prasanth Parameswaran, came out to be massive. Gayle started off the over with a mammoth six, which was followed by yet another six of a slower ball. But to everyone’s surprise, the second ball was declared a no-ball by the umpire, giving a free hit to the striker. He continued with two consecutive fours on the next two deliveries.
On the fourth and fifth deliveries of the over, he smashed two more sixes, one off the cover and another straight six. Parameswaran was answerless as the last ball was also smashed for four, as Gayle scored 37 runs (3 fours, 4 sixes), which allowed RCB to go on to winning the game by a huge margin of 9 wickets and 41 balls remaining. The moment still lives rent-free in fans’ minds — a perfect example of “Gayle Storm” at its fiercest.
2. Ravindra Jadeja (37 Runs vs RCB)
Of all the names which could be expected in this list, Ravindra Jadeja stands at the 2nd spot for his explosive innings against RCB in 2021. In the last over of Chennai’s innings, Jadeja smashed 37 runs, giving a blistering finish to the team. And unfortunately in this case, the bowler who suffered was Harshal Patel, the purple cap winner of IPL 2021, who had no answers to Jadeja.
During the last over, Jadeja started off with two monstrous sixes against Harshal Patel, making his intent clear. The third ball was also smashed for another six, but to Patel’s nightmare, it was a waist height no ball, giving a freebie to Jadeja. He used it pretty well to smash off yet another six, scoring 4 consecutive sixes off just three legal deliveries. It seemed that Harshal had found his line and length well, as the fourth ball was just a double.
However, Jadeja continued smashing in the last two deliveries, scoring a four and finishing off with a six, which took Chennai Super Kings to 191 runs off their 20 overs. Harshal Patel, who had already taken 3 wickets in his spell, had a pressurising last over against Jadeja, where he got his name in the list of bowlers who conceded the most runs in an over in the IPL. Later, Chennai also went on to win this match by 69 runs, and Jadeja was the POTM.
3. Pat Cummins (35 Runs vs MI)
Pat Cummins has been known for providing the ultimate shockers in cricket history. Known mainly for his fast-paced bowling and captaincy skills, he also has an aggressive batting style, which he displayed in IPL 2022, in a match against the Mumbai Indians. Cummins smashed 35 runs off an over against Daniel Sams, as KKR needed the exact number of runs in 30 balls to win the game.
He started off the over with a six and a four against Daniel Sams, as Mumbai Indians knew this could be a big over for KKR if they were not able to take his wicket. But nothing worked against Cummins, as he went on with two humongous sixes, scoring 22 runs off just 4 balls. In the next delivery, Suryakumar Yadav took a catch in the deep, but it was a waist-high no-ball, giving another chance to Pat Cummins.
Off the no-ball, Cummins had already taken 2 runs, and he went on with a four to bring up his half-century in just 14 deliveries. KKR needed just 6 runs with 25 balls to spare, and Cummins finished it off with a six on the last ball of the 16th over. He smashed an impressive total of 35 runs off the over, marking his name at the third spot in the list, as he also won the POTM award.
4. Suresh Raina (33 Runs vs KXIP)
Also known as Mr. IPL, Suresh Raina’s name stands at the 4th spot in the list for his mammoth innings against Kings XI Punjab, which came back in the Qualifier 2 of the IPL 2014 season. Batting first, Punjab Kings had an upper hand in the game, scoring 226 runs in 20 overs. Chasing a daunting target of 226, Raina walked in at No. 3 for Chennai Super Kings and set the Wankhede Stadium on fire.
Raina was already performing well in the powerplay, and the last over of the same being bowled by Parvinder Awana came as a game changer. He started off the over with two consecutive sixes, which were much needed to turn the game in CSK’s favour. Later, he went on to score three consecutive fours, but the fifth delivery came out as a no-ball by Parvinder Awana.
Already 29 runs had come off the over, and Raina finished it off with yet another four, scoring 33 runs off the 6th over. Chennai Super Kings had the upper hand in the game, but Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina had a terrible mix-up on the crease, which led to Raina losing his wicket. Following that, Chennai was also not able to chase the score, falling short by 24 runs.
5. Manoj Tiwary-Chris Gayle (33 Runs vs KXIP)
In the IPL 2010 season, Chris Gayle and Manoj Tiwary showcased the dominant performances of the batsmen in the shorter format of the game. When Kolkata Knight Riders faced Kings XI Punjab in the 34th match of the season, the home team decided to bat first. Chris Gayle and Manoj Tiwary smashed 33 runs off the over against Ravi Bopara, exciting the fans at the Eden Gardens.
This happened in the 13th over of KKR’s innings, as Manoj Tiwary started off with a single. It may have looked like a normal over at the start, but Gayle started his fireworks, smashing four consecutive sixes in the next four balls. Now, the pressure was mounting on Ravi Bopara, who bowled a wide which also went on for a four.
He struggled to complete the over, as the next ball was also a wide, where Gayle completed a single with ease, rotating the strike to Manoj Tiwary. Later, the over ended with a single, as Gayle’s sixes and Bopara’s 7 runs off the extras helped it to be a massive over for Kolkata. Unfortunately, this went in vain, as Kings XI Punjab chased down the score with 8 wickets remaining.
6. Romario Shepherd (33 Runs vs CSK)
The latest edition of the Indian Premier League witnessed the assault of Romario Shepherd against the Chennai Super Kings bowlers in the 52nd clash of the season, where RCB and CSK went against each other at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Batting first, the home team struggled in the middle overs, as they were standing at 159 runs for 5 wickets by the end of 18 overs.
Romario Shepherd took the matter into his own hands in the 19th over, where he went against Khaleel Ahmed, one of the top bowlers for Chennai Super Kings this season. He started off with two consecutive sixes, which were followed by a four over short third, and yet another six, which allowed him to score 22 runs off just four balls. Khaleel Ahmed, under pressure, bowled a no-ball, which was also smashed for a six by Shepherd.
Although he bowled the free hit pretty well, the wide was barely missed as Shepherd stood at the outside offside. But he further went to conclude the over also with a four, scoring 33 runs off the 19th over against Khaleel Ahmed. As a result, RCB won the match by just 2 runs, and Romario Shepherd was awarded the Player of the Match for his impressive batting performance in the death overs.
Why These Overs Will Always Be Remembered
The IPL has always been about thrilling finishes, impossible chases, and audacious power-hitting, and these massive overs are the essence of that drama. From Suresh Raina’s playoff destruction to Romario Shepherd’s recent carnage, each of these 30+ run overs has added unforgettable moments to IPL history. They not only shifted the momentum of the matches but also redefined the role of finishers and pressure-handling in modern T20 cricket.
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