IPL: Top 5 teams with the most 200 plus scores
The 2020 edition of the IPL (Indian Premier League), the richest T20 tournament in the world, is likely to start on September 19, with the grand finale taking place on November 8. The postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic has only made the fans more excited about the tournament.
One of the most interesting and alluring aspects about the IPL is the runs scored in the competition. Every boundary leaves the spectators purring in delight and asking for more.
Over the past 12 seasons of the IPL, we have seen some tremendous batting performances. Be it Brendon McCullum's 158* on the inaugural day or Chris Gayle's 175* in 2013, fans absolutely love watching the ball sail into the stands.
A few decades back, nobody would have imagined a team scoring 200+ runs in 20 overs. But with the advent of the T20 format, 200+ scores have become very common.
On 87 occasions, there have been 200 plus scores registered by a team in the IPL. On that note, we list the top five IPL teams with the most 200+ scores in the history of the tournament.
Top five IPL teams with the most 200+ scores:
#5: Kolkata Knight Riders - 11
KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) are one of the most successful teams in the IPL, with two titles to their name. They are renowned for their consistency and hard-hitting in recent years.
From the likes of Brendon McCullum in 2008 to Andre Russell in 2019, KKR have always been a team to watch out for. Therefore, it is no surprise that they have put up a score of more than 200 runs on 11 occasions.
Interestingly, KKR's first ever 200+ score came in the very first match of the IPL on April 18, 2008 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. KKR had put up 222 runs with seven wickets to spare courtesy McCullum's belligerent unbeaten hundred.
KKR have scored the most 200+ scores (4) in the IPL against Kings XI Punjab. Their highest ever score in the IPL has came against the Mohali-based outfit when KKR scored a mammoth 245/6 in the 2018 edition of the competition. Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Dinesh Karthik's fiery innings bolstered KKR to their mammoth total on that day.
The IPL franchise's most recent 200+ score also came against Kings XI Punjab, when they scored 218 in the 2019 edition of the competition.
#4: Mumbai Indians - 12
Mumbai Indians (MI), one of the most celebrated teams in the IPL, have won the tournament a record four times and are the most successful team in the T20 competition's 12-year history. Starting from 2013, Mumbai Indians have won the IPL title every alternate year.
The defending champions have had a lot of hard-hitters in their ranks with the likes of Kieron Pollard, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya destroying opposition bowlers on many occasions. Mumbai Indians have posted a score of 200 or more 12 different times.
Just like Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai didn't need to wait long for scoring 200 runs in an IPL game; they scored 202 against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings in the inaugural edition of the competition in 2008. Robin Uthappa and Abhishek Nayar played key roles in that match although Mumbai Indians ended up on the losing side that day.
From 2008 to 2018, Mumbai Indians scored 200 plus runs on 11 more occasions. Surprisingly, the most successful team in IPL history failed to put up a 200 plus score during their victorious 2019 campaign when they defeated CSK in a thrilling final.
The latest instance when Mumbai Indians scored more than 200 in the IPL was in 2018 when they posted a score of 210 against Kolkata Knight Riders. Ishan Kishan scored 62 runs off just 21 balls as Mumbai ended up winning that game by 102 runs.
#3: Kings XI Punjab - 13
Yes, you might be surprised to see Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in third place in the list of IPL teams with most 200 plus scores. KXIP have been one of the most underwhelming teams in the IPL; they haven't won the competition and have made only one final appearance.
With 13 200 plus scores, Kings XI Punjab rank third in the list of most 200 plus scores in the history of the IPL. The 2014 season was the biggest contributor to this number, and the reason is no secret.
The team's best ever IPL performance came in 2014 when they reached the final, impressing one and all. Glenn Maxwell was the breakout star that season as KXIP scored 200+ runs in five instances in that edition of the IPL.
Kings XI Punjab's first 200 plus score in the IPL came in the inaugural edition of the competition in 2008. Their most recent one came ten years later against Kolkata Knight Riders when they scored 214 runs. That was the same game where KKR posted their highest ever total in the IPL and Kings XI put up a valiant chase before coming up short.
#2: Chennai Super Kings - 19
Undoubtedly, Chennai Super Kings are the most consistent team in the IPL. They have qualified for the playoffs on ten occasions and have played the final eight times. These numbers are nothing short of phenomenal and just like their wins, CSK's batting performances have been excellent too.
CSK have been a run machine in all editions of the IPL. Players like Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and others have ensured that the runs never dry up for the Chennai based team. They have scored 200+ runs on as many as 19 times, which is six more than KXIP's tally of 13.
It is an impressive number by a team who missed two editions of the competition, yet it is not the most managed by any team in the IPL.
CSK registered their first 200 plus score in the IPL in 2008 against Kings XI Punjab. Their highest total in the competition came in 2010 against Rajasthan Royals when they put up a score of 246/5 courtesy Murali Vijay's dazzling innings of 127.
The 19th and latest time CSK posted a 200+ score on the board was in 2018 when they put up 211/4 against Delhi Daredevils. Shane Watson, Ambati Rayadu and MS Dhoni were the key players with the bat for CSK on that day.
What's worth noting is that CSK had three 200+ scores in April 2018, which shows how dominating the team was as soon as they returned to the IPL after a two-year hiatus.
#1: Royal Challengers Bangalore - 21
Once intimidating, Royal Challengers Bangalore still rivets in their past glory. The days of Chris Gayle smashing bowlers around the park and Virat Kohli's graceful yet aggressive centuries of 2016 are all in the past for them. The IPL franchise is definitely struggling now, but nobody can take away their past achievements.
It is RCB who holds the record of most 200+ scores in the IPL. Some of these games were iconic and remain etched in the memories of IPL fans.
RCB's tallest score in the competition is 263/5, which they amassed against Pune Warriors in 2013 when Chris Gayle brought the whole of Bengaluru to a standstill courtesy his unbeaten innings of 175.
Unlike the rest of the teams in this list, RCB had to wait for two years to register their first ever 200+ score in the IPL, doing so against Kings XI Punjab.
The past few years in the IPL have been dismal for RCB, but the record of most 200 plus scores in the competition is a reminder of the team's batting might.