Credits: BCCI.

Chris Gayle created history eight years ago today by scoring an unbeaten 175 runs against the now-defunct Pune Warriors India (PWI) in a Twenty20 cricket match. This inning was filled with 13 4’s and 16 6’s. This remarkable achievement remains one of the most significant records in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to date, surpassing Brendon McCullum's previous record of 158 for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the first season of the league, which we will recall later in this article. The fact that he accomplished this in just 66 balls is insanity. This inning is forever etched in the minds of the fans.

Credits: BCCI.

It was the first ever match of the IPL. Inaugural IPL match, to be precise. After all the glamor, the stage was set. The teams were ready. Kolkata Knight Riders are all set to lock horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore. The openers for KKR arrived at the crease to take on the first ball in IPL history. Brendon McCullum, one of the openers for KKR, had things on his mind, and he was about to put on a show that is still considered one of the best innings in IPL history. The Kiwi star scored a smashing 158 runs in 73 balls with 10-4s and 13-6s. KKR won the match, and he was awarded the man of the match award.

Credits: BCCI.

AB de Villiers is commonly called "Mr. 360" for his wide range of shots, which are beyond their imagination for most players to pull off. Well, this innings is another testament to his tagline. Against the Gujarat Lions, he played a knockout inning by scoring 129 runs in 52 balls, with 10 4s and 12-6s.

The man didn’t stop with just scoring runs, as he went on to take two crucial catches and eventually lead the team to victory. When it comes to ABD, there are many memorable innings, but this one from the 2016 IPL is something special.

Credits: BCCI.

In 2010, the match day was set against the Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals. Mumbai Indians opened the night with batting, and they managed to put up a staggering total of 212 runs as their batsmen performed in great fashion. Rajasthan Royals began the chase, but it didn’t look good for them right out of the gate as the RR batsmen failed to blast in the powerplay. On the other hand, they were losing wickets rapidly, which resulted in them stumbling hard. It looked like there was no way back for them, but then came Yusuf Pathan. The man came storming in, and he was smacking every ball out of the park. He raced to a century in just 37 balls with 9-4s and 8-6s. It looked like Yusuf was going to rescue the team from the abyss. But unfortunately, he was sent back to the pavilion by a run-out, and RR lost the match with just 4 runs as a difference. He holds the record for one of the fastest 100s in cricket history.

Credits: BCCI.

Miller's inning was nothing short of spectacular, as he single-handedly took the game away from the opposition with his breathtaking stroke play. He faced just 38 balls and hit 7 fours and 8 sixes during his stay at the crease. Miller's innings was filled with audacious shots, and he attacked the Bangalore bowlers from the very beginning, never allowing them to settle into a rhythm.

What made Miller's inning even more remarkable was the fact that he came to the crease with his team struggling at 64/4 in the 10th over, with a required run rate of over 12 runs per over. However, Miller showed no signs of pressure and played with complete freedom and confidence, smashing the bowlers into all parts of the ground.

Credits: BCCI.

In 2014, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) began their Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign with a victory against Mumbai. However, they struggled to keep up their momentum, winning only one out of the next four games during the UAE leg. When they returned to India, KKR made several changes to their lineup, including dropping the experienced Jacques Kallis and promoting Robin Uthappa to open the innings.

These changes proved beneficial, as KKR won five consecutive matches while chasing in the latter stages of the tournament, securing a playoff spot. In their final league game against the Sunrisers, Yusuf Pathan smashed the fastest ever 50 in IPL history, scoring 72 runs off just 22 balls, which helped KKR chase down a target of 160 with six overs to spare. As a result, they finished ahead of Chennai in the league standings with a better net run rate.

They went from being in last place to winning nine matches in a row. This is definitely one of the best comeback’s IPL history.

Credits: BCCI.

Mumbai Indians started their IPL season poorly by losing their opening match against KKR, followed by three more losses. Although they managed to win a close match against RCB, their heavy defeat against Delhi pushed them to last place in the standings. However, they started bouncing back from their form by winning a couple of matches on their home ground.

The Mumbai Indians had a successful run during their season, winning their second IPL title. The team tasted victories because of the performances of key players, including Lendl Simmons, Rohit Sharma, and Kieron Pollard with the bat and Lasith Malinga and Harbhajan Singh with the ball.

Despite starting the season at the bottom of the table, the Mumbai Indians proved to be an unstoppable force, with opponents unable to keep up with their impressive performance. In the playoffs, they defeated the table-toppers, Chennai, by 25 runs in the first qualifier and then beat their rivals in the final.

Definitely one of the best comebacks in the history of IPL.

Credits: BCCI.

Chennai had a rough start to the IPL season, losing their first game to Deccan Chargers and experiencing further defeats as they struggled to win only two games in the first half of the season. Their captain, MS Dhoni, was injured and missed several games.

However, things turned around for Chennai when Murali Vijay led them to victory against Bangalore with a 39-ball 78, and then smashed 127 off just 56 balls against Rajasthan Royals, along with Albie Morkel, to help them achieve the highest total ever in IPL, 246. Although Naman Ojha and Watson tried to challenge them, Doug Bollinger's excellent bowling and a fantastic boundary line catch secured two points for CSK. In a crucial game against Punjab, Dhoni demonstrated his exceptional finishing skills with a 29-ball 54, leading Chennai to victory. They then defended a below-average target of 143 in the semifinal against Deccan Chargers to reach the final, where they beat Mumbai Indians to become the champions of the season. Despite their poor start, Chennai managed to turn things around and emerged victorious in the end.

To understand the broader impact of the IPL on Indian cricket, read our in-depth analysis here↗