Who has the most IPL centuries of all time? Recently, Virat Kohli smashed 101 off 61 balls against GT to overtake Chris Gayle in the most IPL centuries scored across the league.
In the last 16 seasons of the IPL, 83 hundreds have been scored.
Several players have accomplished this in the IPL throughout the years, with names like Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, and Shane Watson among those with numerous centuries to their credit. Chris Gayle now holds the record for the highest individual score in the IPL after scoring an unbroken 175 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2013.
Below we break down who has scored the most centuries in IPL, with a detailed look at some of the tournament's most prolific big run scorers.
Contents
Most centuries in IPL
Let us have a look at the list of the most centuries in IPL across various editions of the IPL over the years.
| Pos | Player | Matches | Runs | 100s | Avg | SR |
| 1 | Virat Kohli | 237 | 7263 | 7 | 37.25 | 130.02 |
| 2 | Chris Gayle | 142 | 2965 | 6 | 39.72 | 148.96 |
| 3 | Jos Buttler | 95 | 3223 | 5 | 39.87 | 149.70 |
| 4 | David Warner | 162 | 5881 | 4 | 42.00 | 140.69 |
| 5 | Shane Watson | 145 | 3874 | 4 | 30.99 | 137.91 |
| 6 | KL Rahul | 109 | 3889 | 4 | 48.01 | 136.22 |
| 7 | AB de Villiers | 184 | 5162 | 3 | 39.7 | 151.68 |
| 8 | Sanju Samson | 138 | 3526 | 3 | 29.14 | 135.71 |
| 9 | Shikhar Dhawan | 206 | 6244 | 2 | 35.05 | 126.35 |
| 10 | Ajinkya Rahane | 158 | 4074 | 2 | 30.86 | 120.68 |
Brendon McCullum, a former New Zealand cricketer, became the first player to smash an IPL century in the opening game of the 2008 season. He scored an unbeaten 158 runs off just 73 balls for the Kolkata Knight Riders against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Virat Kohli set the record for most hundreds by a player in an IPL season with four in 2016. In only 16 matches for the Royal Challengers Bangalore that season, he hit four hundreds.
Chris Gayle hit the quickest century in IPL history in 2013. He scored his century for the Royal Challengers Bangalore against the Pune Warriors India in just 30 balls.
Those that can power hit and score quickly have a good chance of going over 100 runs in T20s. The number of records set for centuries scored in the IPL is no different.
IPL 2023 centuries
There have been an additional eight centuries hit so far in the 16th season of Indian Premier League, which takes the total tally to 83 centuries overall in IPL history.
Harry Brook for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Venkatesh Iyer for Kolkata Knight Riders were the first two additions to the list with centuries in the 2023 IPL season. A quite surprising fact is that the century by Venkatesh Iyer for KKR earlier in the season was just the second century for KKR after the century made by Brendon McCullum in the first-ever IPL game.
Virat Kohli's century against SRH was the eighth of the season, and takes Kohli back to No.3 on the Orange Cap charts.
List of most centuries in IPL – all time
1. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is widely respected and regarded as one of the best batters of all time across all formats of the game, and his performances in the IPL have been nothing short of spectacular.
He is also the IPL's all-time leading run-scorer, having over 6000 runs to his name. He is one of the only two batsmen in IPL history to score 4 centuries in a season. Kohli set the record during his 973-run IPL 2016 season, with an average of 81.08 and a strike rate of 152.03.
Virat Kohli is widely regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world across all formats of cricket.
He has been a consistent performer for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL since 2008, and his performances in the tournament have been nothing short of outstanding. Kohli is known for his aggressive and technically sound batting, and his ability to play all around the wicket and hit the ball with incredible power and precision has made him a fan favourite in the IPL.
At first in the most centuries scored in IPL history, here are Kohli's seven big knocks:
- 100* off 63 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Gujarat Lions in 2016
- 113 off 50 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Kings XI Punjab in 2016
- 108* off 58 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016
- 109 off 55 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Gujarat Lions in 2016
- 100 off 58 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2019
- 100 off 63 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2023
- 101 off 61 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Gujarat Titans in 2023
2. Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle is known widely as one of the most dangerous batters in IPL history, and his six centuries demonstrate to his exceptional talent and ability to make large runs in T20 cricket.
One of the IPL's most explosive batters in history, Chris Gayle has delighted fans all over the world with his aggressive and strong hitting. He has participated in the IPL for several clubs and has won games for each of them. Gayle is well recognized for his effortless ability to knock sixes, and his record-breaking T20 cricket performance of 175* off just 66 balls in 2013 is still regarded as one of the finest ever.
Gayle's centuries are as follows:
- 107* off 49 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Kings XI Punjab in 2011
- 102* off 55 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2011
- 128* off 62 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Delhi Daredevils in 2012
- 175* off 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013 (this is the highest individual score in the IPL)
- 117 off 57 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Kings XI Punjab in 2015
- 104 off 63 balls for Kings XI Punjab against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018.
3. Jos Buttler
Buttler is the second batsmen to score 4 centuries in a particular season after Virat Kohli, and third on the most IPL centuries list.
He did this in the 2022 IPL season and helped his team Rajasthan Royals reach the finals for only their second time in history. Buttler achieved it during his remarkable run in the IPL 2022, scoring 863 runs in 17 innings at a strike rate of 149.05.
Jos Buttler is a valuable player in the game's shortest format because of his aggressive batting style and capacity for fast runs. After joining the Rajasthan Royals in 2018, he has been an important member of the squad and has contributed significantly to the team's IPL victory. Buttler is a talented wicketkeeper in addition to being a good batsman, and his ability to make quick catches and perform stumpings has helped his team in the IPL.
Third in the most centuries in IPL, here are Buttler's tons:
- 106 off 60 balls for Rajasthan Royals vs RCB in IPL Playoff qualifier 2
- 116 off 65 balls for Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022 (2022)
- 100 from 68 balls for Rajasthan Royals against the Mumbai Indians (2022)
- 61 of 103 balls for Rajasthan Royals against the Kolkata Knight Riders (2022)
- 124 off 64 balls for Rajasthan Royals vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad (2021)
4. David Warner
One of the most reliable and significant players in the IPL, Warner's aggressive and explosive top-order batting has been essential to Sunrisers Hyderabad's success in the competition. He scored 3 centuries for them over the years, putting him on the list of most IPL centuries. He scored his first century while playing for Delhi Daredevils in 2009. However, he currently plays for Delhi Capitals.
Warner's most centuries in IPL:
- 107* off 69 balls for Delhi Daredevils against Deccan Chargers in 2009
- 126 off 59 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017
- 100* off 55 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2019
- 104 off 55 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2021.
5. KL Rahul
KL Rahul has been one of the IPL's most reliable players recently and has been crucial to Kings XI Punjab's success. Also, he received the Orange Cap, which is given to the IPL's top run-scorer. He has scored 4 centuries in the IPL.
- 132* off 69 balls for Kings XI Punjab against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2019
- 100* off 64 balls for Kings XI Punjab against Mumbai Indians in 2020
- 103* off 63 balls for Lucknow super giants against Mumbai Indians.
- 103* off 62 for Lucknow Super giants against Mumbai Indians.
6. Shane Watson
The success of Watson's teams has been significantly influenced by his efforts with both the bat and the ball. Watson is one of the most successful and versatile players in IPL history. He has won the IPL title multiple times, once with Chennai Super Kings and once with Rajasthan Royals.
Most IPL centuries:
- 101* off 61 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2013
- 104* off 59 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2015
- 117 off 57 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018
- 106 off 57 balls for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2018
7. AB de Villiers
One of the best hitters of his time, AB de Villiers is a fan favourite in the IPL thanks to his ability to play all over the wicket and hit the ball with amazing power and accuracy. Since joining the squad in 2011, he has been an important member for Royal Challengers Bangalore, and his performances in the competition have been nothing short of amazing.
Most IPL centuries by de Villers:
- 105* off 54 balls for Delhi Daredevils against Chennai Super Kings in 2009
- 129* off 52 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Gujarat Lions in 2016
- 133* off 59 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Mumbai Indians in 2015
8. Sanju Samson
One of the most talented young players in Indian cricket, Sanju Samson has received a lot of praise and adoration for his IPL exploits from both fans and analysts.
His ability to strike the ball easily to all parts of the ground and his stylish and aggressive batting style have earned him a reputation. Since making his debut in 2013, Samson has been an important member of the Rajasthan Royals, and his efforts have greatly influenced the team's success in the competition.
Most centuries in IPL for Samson:
- 102 off 55 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019
- 119 off 63 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Punjab Kings in 2021
- 102 off 63 balls for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiants in 2017
9. Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan is one of the most seasoned and successful players in the IPL, and the success of his teams has been greatly influenced by his aggressive and attacking batting at the top of the order. Over the years, he has consistently performed well in the competition, amassing over 5,000 runs in the IPL. Dhawan is a valuable player for any IPL side he joins with to his great fielding skills and athleticism.
Shikhar Dhawan, the Indian opening batsman, has scored a total of 2 centuries in the Indian Premier League.
101* off 58 balls for Delhi Capitals against Chennai Super Kings in 2020
106* off 61 balls for Delhi Capitals against Kings XI Punjab in 2020
10. Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane is renowned for his technically good batting and ability to score runs at a steady rate.
He has been a constant performer in the IPL throughout the years. He has also led the Rajasthan Royals to victory in the past as captain, and he was a major contributor to that achievement. Rahane is a talented fielder who has throughout the years taken numerous great catches in the IPL, as well as being on the most centuries in IPL list.
Ajinkya Rahane, the Indian middle-order batsman, has scored 2 centuries in the Indian Premier League.
- 103* off 60 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2012
- 105* off 63 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Delhi Capitals in 2019
Breaking down the most centuries in IPL
Several players have accomplished this in the IPL throughout the years, with names like Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, and Shane Watson among those with numerous centuries to their credit. Chris Gayle now holds the record for the highest individual score in the IPL after scoring an unbroken 175 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2013.
Looking at the most centuries in IPL, a century is seen as a tremendous accomplishment and frequently plays a key role in a team's victory. The sportsman may be proud of himself, and the spectators will remember it forever. In the IPL, scoring a century is not an easy feat as the tournament is highly competitive, and the bowlers are skilled and experienced. However, some players have consistently shown their ability to score big runs, making them the most successful centurions in the tournament's history.
In addition to being a significant achievement for the player, scoring a century in the IPL also helps their team to win matches. In fact, the majority of teams that have had a player score a century in a match have gone on to win that game, which shows the importance of big scores in the tournament.
Overall, the ability to score a century in the IPL is a testament to a player's skill, temperament, and determination, and it is one of the most celebrated milestones in the tournament's history.
