5 records that might never be broken in IPL history

5 records that might never be broken in IPL history (Source: IPL)

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has long been the most competitive T20 league in cricket and continues to strengthen its claim. The March–May window of each year is reserved for the league, during which every cricket board in the world sends their best players to be part of it. Many players become better versions of themselves in just over two months by playing against and alongside the best cricketers globally.

The IPL is expanding in terms of the number of teams and its global audience. With every passing year, the competitiveness and intensity of the game continue to increase. Naturally, many past records are broken with ease across batting, bowling, and team performances. However, some records are so exceptional that they might be difficult—if not impossible—to break.

Here are five records that might be impossible to break in IPL history: 5. The Highest individual score on IPL debut Brendon Mccullum (Photo Source: Twitter)

On 18 April 2008, cricket changed forever when Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) took on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, marking the beginning of the Indian Premier League. It was the introduction of fast-paced cricket to many fans, and one particular knock changed the future of the game.

Brendon McCullum scored 158 runs in just 73 balls, including 10 fours and 13 sixes. Back in 2008, such aggressive scoring was rare even in ODIs. It remains the highest score by a batter on IPL debut. Only one batter has ever scored more in any IPL innings—Chris Gayle, who made 175* (66) against Pune Warriors India in IPL 2013.

4. Greatest MVP season Sunil Narine (Source: IPL/X)

Sunil Narine is the only player to win the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the IPL three times. While he claimed the honour in 2012, 2018, and 2024, his achievement in the 2024 season was truly unique. In a season where the Impact Player rule was in place, Narine secured a total of 450 MVP points - an extraordinary figure.

His season was so dominant that the next best player, Virat Kohli, had just 315.5 MVP points - far fewer than Narine. In IPL history, no other player has crossed the 400-point mark in a single season. The closest are Jos Buttler and Shane Watson, with 387 and 386 MVP points in 2022 and 2013, respectively.

3. Perfect away winning streak in a season RCB 2025 (Source : Twitter)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) achieved something remarkable in . With the final still to come, RCB completed all of their away matches with an unbeaten streak. In the league stage, they won all seven away games, beating KKR in Kolkata, CSK in Chennai, MI in Mumbai, RR in Jaipur, PBKS in Mullanpur, DC in Delhi, and LSG in Lucknow.

Additionally, as the second-best team in the league stage, RCB were the away side in Qualifier 1 against PBKS in Mullanpur. They won convincingly by 8 wickets, completing the season with 8 wins and zero losses away from home. In the IPL 2025 final, RCB will play as the home team after winning Qualifier 1. Hence, their 100% away record this season will remain intact.

2. Fewest Points to Qualify for IPL Playoffs Sunrisers Hyderabad. (Source -IPL/BCCI)

In IPL 2019, something unprecedented occurred. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) qualified for the Playoffs as the fourth team with just 12 points—the fewest ever for a team entering the Playoffs in IPL history. MI, CSK, and DC each had 18 points and qualified ahead of everyone else.

Things got tense when KKR, SRH, and PBKS all finished with 12 points. However, SRH qualified thanks to a superior net run rate. It is virtually impossible to qualify for the Playoffs with fewer than 12 points. SRH’s case was unique and may never happen again, especially with more teams now part of the tournament.

1. Most seasons with an economy of under 6 Sunil Narine (Source: IPL)

Sunil Narine features in another exceptional IPL record. Widely regarded as one of the most economical bowlers in the tournament’s history, he is the only bowler to record an economy rate under 6 in three different IPL seasons, while playing at least 14 matches in each.

Bowlers such as Lasith Malinga, Dale Steyn, Rashid Khan, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Anil Kumble have achieved this feat only once. At his peak during 2012-2014, Narine was nearly unplayable, with economy rates of 5.48 and 5.47 in 2012 and 2013, respectively. He maintained an economy of 5.57 at the end of IPL 2022. With pitches increasingly favouring batters, it has become much harder for bowlers to keep an economy under 6 across a full IPL season.