At a glance
- There have been 15 successful 200+ chases in this season’s IPL
- Two of the top 5 highest run chases in IPL history have come in 2026
- Punjab Kings broke their own record set in 2024 this year
High-scoring encounters have been a common occurrence since the start of the IPL. However, the scale of the scaring seems to only have increased in recent years. In fact, the kind of scores being chased down just shows how the sport has evolved in that direction.
There have already been 15 successful chases of 200+ scores in the 2026 IPL, six more than we saw in 2025, which was the previous highest such tally for a single season. Today, we look at the five highest chases in IPL history – two of which have come this year.
Top 5 highest chases in IPL history
230-4, RCB vs LSG (2025)
Chasing 228 with one eye on a Qualifier 1 place, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru got off to a pretty good start. They scored 66-1 in the powerplay. Kohli scored yet another fifty but when he was dismissed, it looked like RCB were staring down the barrel at 123-4.
In walked Jitesh Sharma, the Bengaluru captain on the night, to play a very eventful innings. Sharma braved a no-ball dismissal and a withdrawn appeal for a run out at the non-striker’s end to hit eight fours and six sixes on his way to an unbeaten 33-ball 85.
Player of the Match Jitesh Sharma was ably supported by Mayank Agarwal at the other end as they chased down an improbable target. As a result, RCB confirmed a place in the top 2, getting to play in Qualifier 1 on the way to their maiden IPL title.
247-2, SRH vs PBKS (2025)
Set a target of 246 by Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad got off the blocks quickly, scoring 83-0 in the powerplay. The SRH openers punished the PBKS bowlers heavily, piling on 171 runs before Travis Head fell for 66 in the 13th over. That would not stop his partner Abhishek Sharma, however.
Abhishek kept the onslaught going, finally getting out for 141 with his team only needing another 24 runs off 22 balls. That 141 is still the highest score by any batter while chasing in IPL history. In the end, Hyderabad got home with nine balls to spare, winning by eight wickets and registering their highest-ever successful run-chase at the time.
249-4, SRH vs MI (2026)
The aforementioned chase remained SRH’s highest successful chase for one more year. This year, the Mumbai Indians scored 243-5 in their allotted 20 overs at the Wankhede Stadium against SRH. The Sunrisers responded by starting quickly as they always do.
Their openers were right in the thick of it as usual. The pair added 129 runs for the first wicket before Abhishek Sharma fell for 45 in the ninth over. SRH then suffered a brief collapse as Ishan Kishan departed off the very next ball before Travis Head returned to the pavilion for a blistering 76 from 30 deliveries just an over later.
Player of the Match Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy steadied the ship before and the former then launched a counter attack. The South African wicketkeeper-bat finished with an unbeaten 65 as SRH won by six wickets in the 19th over once again.
262-2, PBKS vs KKR (2024)
2024 was the first time an IPL saw multiple scores of 250 in the same season. It was also the first season to see a 250+ score chased down in the competition.
Put in to bat by the Punjab Kings, the Kolkata Knight Riders scored in their allotted 20 overs at the Eden Gardens. As is the case with most big run chases, PBKS were off the blocks really quickly.
Their keeper-bat opening pair of Prabhsimran Singh and Jonny Bairstow put on 93 runs in the powerplay. However, the former was then run out for a 20-ball 54. Sunil Narine then dismissed Rilee Rossouw to bring Shashank Singh to the crease.
Bairstow and Shashank scored 84 runs in the next six overs to take Punjab home with more than an over to spare. Shashank remained unbeaten on 68 off just 28 balls, while Bairstow was named Player of the Match for his 48-ball 108. This remained the highest successful run chase in the IPL until…
265-4, PBKS vs DC (2026)
…the Punjab Kings broke their own record in 2026. Set a target of 265 in their 20 overs, Punjab went hard from the start. Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh put on 126 runs before Arya was dismissed for 43. Prabhsimran followed suit, trapped in front by Kuldeep for a 26-ball 76.
Cooper Connolly was then dismissed cheaply with PBKS still needing another 120 runs in a little over 10 overs. Captain Shreyas Iyer then came to the party. Iyer first stitched together a partnership with Nehal Wadhera and then Shashank Singh to see Punjab home in a record-breaking chase.
Iyer’s unbeaten 71 would not see him named the Player of the Match, however. That honour would go to DC’s KL Rahul for his 152*, the highest-ever score in a losing cause in T20s.
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