Chris Gayle scored 175 runs in 66 balls against the Pune Warriors India
His explosive knock powered RCB to a record-breaking total of 263 runs, the highest ever in a T20 match. It was a night when everything clicked for Gayle, and fans witnessed one of the greatest individual performances in cricket history. Let’s relive that magical evening once more.
On 23rd April 2013, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, a regular IPL league game turned into a legendary spectacle that is still remembered as one of the most explosive batting displays in the history of T20 cricket. Royal Challengers Bangalore hosted Pune Warriors India in what seemed like just another group match of the IPL 2013 season. But what unfolded was something no cricket fan could have imagined, a historic innings from Chris Gayle that broke records and left fans, players, and commentators in utter disbelief.
RCB won the toss and chose to bat first and the Bengaluru pitch was expected to be high-scoring, as usual, but nobody could have predicted the level of carnage Gayle was about to unleash. Chris Gayle opened the innings along with Tillakaratne Dilshan. From the very first over, Gayle showed his intent. He took on the bowlers with brute force and supreme timing, sending the ball flying all over the ground.
In just the 3rd over, he smashed 28 runs, and the floodgates opened. Boundaries came in every direction, and bowlers were under pressure. Gayle reached his half-century in just 17 balls. But he wasn’t done yet. The real fireworks came next. In the 7th over of the innings, Gayle brought up his century in just 30 balls, the fastest century ever in the IPL cricket.
At this point, RCB were cruising at 128 for no loss, and Gayle was hitting sixes for fun. His six-hitting wasn’t just about brute power as it was calculated, clean, and completely dominant. He targeted the shorter boundaries, cleared the ropes with ease, and even mishits were going for sixes. Pune Warriors’ bowlers looked completely clueless. Dinda, Marsh, Murtaza, and Pandey all went for runs, with Dinda conceding over 50 in his four overs.
By the time Gayle reached 150, RCB had crossed 200. His eventual score was 175 not out off just 66 balls, which included 13 fours and 17 sixes, the highest individual score ever in T20 cricket, and still unbeaten in IPL history. His strike rate was 265.15, and it was a one-man demolition job. RCB’s total was 263 for 5 in 20 overs, the highest team total in IPL and one of the highest in all T20s worldwide at that time.
Though other batters like AB de Villiers (31 off 8) chipped in, it was Gayle’s knock that defined the innings. The crowd at Chinnaswamy went wild, standing up and applauding every boundary. Social media exploded, memes and tweets flooded timelines, and broadcasters ran out of adjectives. The scoreboard looked like a glitch in a video game. Chasing 264 was never going to be easy, and Pune Warriors India knew that.
Their innings never got going as they lost wickets early, with Robin Uthappa and Aaron Finch both falling cheaply. The middle order tried to survive, but it wasn’t enough. Steven Smith scored 41 off 31, and Mitchell Marsh made 24, but they couldn’t match the required run rate of over 13 runs per over. The icing on the cake came when Chris Gayle himself bowled an over and picked up 2 wickets for just 5 runs. He dismissed Marsh and Murtaza, showing he could contribute with the ball too.
Eventually, Pune finished at 133 for 9 in their 20 overs. RCB won the match by 130 runs, which at that time was one of the biggest wins by margin in IPL. From the match’s point of view, it was a one-sided affair. But in terms of entertainment, it was historic. Gayle’s innings became a reference point for what peak T20 dominance looked like. His 17 sixes in a single innings remain a record in IPL. He also became the second player to hit a 150-plus score in the league. His knock had over 150 runs in boundaries alone.
This match changed how T20 cricket was viewed. It showed that one player could completely own a game in a format built on fast action. Bowlers had no margin of error, and even good deliveries went the distance. Gayle’s ability to read the bowlers, pick the slower balls early, and swing with immense power made him unstoppable. It wasn’t just an innings as it was a storm and it changed the way fans looked at T20 cricket and cemented Gayle’s status as the Universe Boss.
The 175 run innings wasn’t just an innings, as it was a display of power-hitting that left cricket fans in awe and set numerous records in the history of the Indian Premier League. Chris Gayle, the West Indian dynamo, broke multiple records during his incredible knock, which remains one of the most unforgettable moments in IPL history.
Gayle’s innings not only etched his name into the history books but also showcased the pure destructive power he brings to the game. His ability to dominate bowlers and break records in such a short period left a lasting impact on the IPL and established him as one of the most feared hitters in T20 cricket.