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The IPL is starting to draw focus with franchise cricket’s marquee event set to commence before the end of March.
First staged in 2008, 2026 will be the 19th iteration of the tournament.
There have been many great feats and records set over the course of the previous 18 events. Let’s take a moment to have a look at five of the most remarkable IPL stats.
1. Virat Kohli and the 200-run stands
Of the seven partnerships of 200 runs or more in IPL history, Virat Kohli has been involved in three of them. That is a staggering level of consistency in a format built on risk and rapid scoring.
Two of those monumental stands came alongside AB de Villiers for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a pairing that defined an era for the franchise. Their understanding of tempo, field placement and pressure turned daunting totals into routine pursuits.
To feature in nearly half of all 200-plus partnerships underlines Kohli’s longevity and adaptability. In a competition defined by short careers and shifting squads, his presence at the heart of so many record-breaking stands is extraordinary.
2. Brendon McCullum’s outrageous opening salvo
The first ever IPL match in 2008, between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore, announced the tournament in unforgettable fashion.
Brendon McCullum blasted 158 not out from 73 balls, striking 13 sixes and 10 fours as KKR romped to a 140-run win. It was audacious, theatrical and perfectly timed for a league seeking instant credibility.
For five years it stood as the highest individual score in IPL history before being eclipsed by Chris Gayle. Even now though, McCullum’s 158 remains the second-highest score the league has seen.
Remarkably, it is also one of only three IPL centuries scored for Kolkata, the others coming from Sunil Narine and Venkatesh Iyer. That the tournament’s defining early innings still holds such statistical weight speaks volumes.
Also read: Five big IPL coaching moves that could shape the 2026 season
3. Rohit Sharma’s forgotten hat-trick
Rohit Sharma is rightly celebrated as one of the IPL’s greatest batters, with 7,046 runs placing him among the competition’s elite. Yet one of the most unusual feats of his career came with the ball.
Playing for the Deccan Chargers in 2009 against the Mumbai Indians, Sharma produced a spell of 4 for 6 in just two overs, including a hat-trick.
He dismissed Abhishek Nayar and Harbhajan Singh with successive deliveries before JP Duminy fell to the first ball of his next over. Two balls later Saurabh Tiwary was stumped, sealing the match and a rare all-round masterpiece.
For a player remembered primarily for his batting, it remains a delicious statistical quirk.
4. Aaron Finch, the ultimate IPL nomad
Franchise cricket is built on movement, but no one has embraced the carousel quite like Aaron Finch.
The former Australia captain has represented nine different IPL franchises, a record that underlines both his global demand and the shifting strategies of teams at auction tables.
From early stints with Rajasthan and Delhi to later roles across the league, Finch became the embodiment of the short-term T20 contract.
Few players can claim to have worn so many colours in one competition. In a league often associated with loyalty to marquee names, Finch’s journey tells a different story about opportunity and reinvention.
5. A hat-trick of hat-tricks
Hat-tricks are rare in T20 cricket. To claim more than one in the IPL is exceptional in India.
Yuvraj Singh achieved the feat twice in a single season, a reminder of his knack for game-turning bursts. Yet even that pales next to the record of Amit Mishra, who has taken three IPL hat-tricks.
Mishra’s treble stands alone in tournament history. In a format dominated by batters and shaped by unforgiving margins, the ability to seize three wickets in three balls on multiple occasions is extraordinary.
As the IPL approaches its 19th season, these feats serve as a reminder of why the competition continues to captivate. Records fall and stars emerge, but the league’s archive of improbable numbers and outrageous performances only grows richer with time.
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