Massive shots, unconventional strokes, and nonchalant hitting – T20s are more of a batter’s carnage where the ball sails in the air more than its stay on the ground. In IPL, the best of high voltage T20 action gets staged as teams fight to conquer the coveted title. As IPL comes back this summer, let’s take a look at the top 5 teams with the most 200+ scores in IPL History.
5. Kolkata Knight Riders (13)
It was a blitzkrieg on the night of April 18, 2008, when the inaugural edition of the IPL kicked off. Kiwi master Brendon McCullum smashed RCB all around the park as spectators witness the beginning of a special league. KKR brought up a 200+ score on their debut and T20 became the most brutal format of cricket overnight. Since then, the franchise was on a roller-coaster ride and were crowned champions twice in 2012 and 2014.
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The team has featured power-hitters like Brendon Mc Cullum, Chris Gayle, Yusuf Pathan, Eoin Morgan, Chris Lynn, Andre Russell, and many more to bolster their batting strength every season. KKR has crossed the 200 run mark on 13 occasions in the last 14 editions. Their highest team score in an innings came in 2018. Sunil Narine’s fiery knock of 75 runs and captain Dinesh Karthik’s fifty led the team to put up a colossal total of 245-6 against KXIP.
4. Punjab Kings (15)
The Punjab Kings formerly known as Kings XI Punjab are one of the 3 franchises which has participated in every IPL season but have never won the championship. Mostly, the team’s underperformance is attributed to its inconsistency as in an entire season the side will have great times in patches but they often fail to carry on the momentum in future clashes. Despite all shortcomings, the PBKS army is one of the biggest batting powerhouses amongst the franchises. From Yuvraj Singh, Adam Gilchrist to Chris Gayle, Glenn Maxwell, the team has never been deprived of match-winners who can muscle their way through and hammer the opposition.
In 14 seasons, PBKS have gone past 200 on 15 occasions. Their highest score of 232/2 came against RCB in IPL 2011. The Aussie duo of Gilchrist and Marsh went berserk with the bat as the mighty RCB bowling unit succumbed to the onslaught. Last season PBKS and RR fought a nail-biting battle where KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran wreaked havoc with the bat to reach a total of 221-6. However, a stunning fightback from Sanju Samson and co. took the match down the wire. PBKS won the match narrowly by just 4 runs.
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3. Mumbai Indians (16)
The most successful franchise of the IPL, Mumbai Indians have had a dream ride in the league. The 5 times champions were a squad of veterans since the inception of IPL. The likes of Sanath Jayasuriya, Sachin Tendulkar, Shaun Pollock to Andrew Symonds, Ricky Ponting, and then Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard – MI has always boasted of a star-studded line-up.
The team understands how to tackle challenges collectively and utilize conditions in an optimized manner. Every time, MI bats on a pitch that assists the willow-wielders, an enormous score is always on the cards. In 14 editions, MI has scored 200+ on 16 instances. Their highest aggregate came in the last IPL only, when the terrific duo of Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav unleashed a calamity on SRH at Abu Dhabi. MI finished its innings at 235-9 and won the match by 42 runs.
2. Chennai Super Kings (19)
The Chennai Super Kings are a franchise that believes in defying odds. The most consistent team in the league, Dhoni and co. maintain a staggering record in every respect. It was a heartbreaking moment for Whistle Podu fans when CSK was banned in 2016 and 2015. But after the two years oh hiatus, the yellow army roared back in style in 2018 by lifting their 3rd IPL title. Even in 2021, after a disastrous campaign in 2020, Dhoni’s men came back strong to win the trophy and will now enter IPL15 as the defending champions. For being such a robust side, the team definitely banks a lot on its batting strength. CSK always featured a rich mix of Indian players who turned out to be game-changers donning the yellow jersey.
Alongside foreign stars like Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Albie Morkel, Shane Watson, DJ Bravo, the team is spearheaded by Thala MS Dhoni, Mr. IPL Suresh Raina, Sir Jadeja, and Ambati Rayudu. In only 12 seasons, the team has crossed the 200+ mark on 19 occasions. It illustrates why CSK remains consistent with every IPL. Their highest score came against RR in Chepauk, 2011. Opening the batting, Murali Vijay looked in sublime touch as he hit a staggering ton with 8 fours and 11 massive sixes. Morkel finished things off at his destructive best as CSK ended at 246-5. RR fought back fiercely but fell short by 23 runs.
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore (20)
It is a mystery why a team as strong as RCB has never conquered the league even for once. The 3 times runners-up is known by repute for being a batting heavy side. If a team once featured the trinity of Universe Boss Chris Gayle, modern-day master Virat Kohli and Mr 360 A B de Villiers, one can only share some sympathy with the bowlers. The trio has ruled the roost with the bat for more than 5 seasons, trouncing the rest with their bat in hand. With Faf Du Plessis and the Big Show Glenn Maxwell now on the side, one expects the show will continue to go on despite the absence of Gayle and ABD. Thus it is not surprising why RCB is numero uno in the list of 5 teams with most 200+ scores in IPL History.
20 times the RCB batters propelled their team to go beyond 200 in the past 14 seasons. Their highest ever total came in 2013 against PWI courtesy of a Gayle Storm. Brandishing the bat, the Caribbean southpaw went on a rampage that crushed the PWI bowlers entirely. In an unforgettable innings, Gayle stayed unbeaten at 175* while RCB ended at 275-5.
