by Most batsmen dream about scoring a century in an IPL Final.
Very few even get the chance. And only five have managed to cross 90 — let alone push past it.
The IPL Final is not a normal T20 game. The pitch is prepared differently. The field settings are tighter.
Every bowler in the opposition has spent two months figuring out how to get you out. And 130,000 people are watching every single delivery.
Yet five batsmen walked into that furnace and came out with scores that will never be forgotten.
Highest Individual Scores in IPL Finals
Here are the highest individual scores in IPL Finals — what they were, how they happened, and why they still matter.
1. Shane Watson — 117 (57) | CSK vs SRH, 2018 Final
Nobody has come close to this. And honestly, the gap feels wider than the number suggests.
Shane Watson scored 117 not out off just 57 balls in Hyderabad on May 27, 2018. CSK were chasing 179.
Watson walked out and got absolutely strangled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar — zero runs off the first ten balls. A maiden over. You could feel the tension building.
Then Watson did what Watson did best. He switched gears so violently that SRH never recovered.
74 runs came off the next 27 balls. Siddarth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma were taken apart — 11 fours, 8 sixes, a century in 51 balls.
CSK finished with nine balls to spare. Watson didn’t just win the Final — he made it look embarrassing for the opposition.
This is the highest individual score in IPL Final history. It’s also the highest by any overseas batsman in a Final. And seven years later, it still feels untouchable.
2. Wriddhiman Saha — 115* (55) | KXIP vs KKR, 2014 Final
Here’s a stat that stings: Saha scored 115 not out and still lost the match.
That tells you everything about how brutal the 2014 Final was. KXIP were 30 for 2 inside six overs.
The innings was done. Saha walked in and single-handedly dragged them to 199 for 4 — hitting 10 fours and 8 sixes off just 55 balls.
His 129-run stand with Manan Vohra was the backbone of that recovery. Without Saha, KXIP don’t even get close to 150.
But KKR had Manish Pandey. And Pandey had other plans.
Saha’s 115* remains the highest individual score in IPL Final history by an Indian batsman.
No Indian has passed it in eleven years. That record says as much about Saha’s quality as it does about how rare a Final century actually is.
3. Sai Sudharsan — 96 (46) | GT vs CSK, 2023 Final
At 21, most players are still figuring out IPL cricket. Sai Sudharsan walked into the 2023 Final at the Narendra Modi Stadium and played like a man who owned the place.
96 off 46 balls. Strike rate of 208.69 — higher than every other innings on this list. Eight fours, six sixes.
GT was defending a total, and Sudharsan gave them a score that actually felt defendable.
He fell four runs short of a century. GT lost by five runs. And yet — if you poll cricket fans about the most memorable individual innings in a Final, Sudharsan’s name keeps coming up.
Why? Because of the age. Because of the venue. Because he carried a young team’s hopes on his shoulders and nearly delivered them a title in their debut season.
Third highest ever. And possibly the most impressive relative to the moment.
4. Murali Vijay — 95 (52) | CSK vs RCB, 2011 Final
Before Watson rewrote the record book, Murali Vijay held the crown. And his innings was a masterclass in opening batting under pressure.
May 28, 2011. Chennai. CSK vs RCB. Vijay and Mike Hussey put on 159 for the first wicket — a partnership so dominant that RCB’s bowlers looked lost from ball one.
Hussey played the steady hand with 63 off 45. Vijay played the aggression — 95 off 52, punishing every loose delivery.
CSK posted 205. RCB crumbled to 147 for 8. Vijay won Man of the Match. Chennai lifted their second straight title.
What makes this innings special is the context — it was only the fourth IPL Final ever played. Vijay didn’t just set a record.
He set the standard for what a Final innings should look like. Every big knock since has been measured against this one.
5. Manish Pandey — 94 (50) | KKR vs KXIP, 2014 Final
The other half of the greatest Final ever played.
While Saha was scoring 115 and losing, Pandey was chasing 200 and winning.
94 off 50 balls — seven fours, six sixes — and not a single moment where KKR fell behind the required rate.
That consistency is what separates Pandey’s innings from every other high score on this list.
He didn’t have a slow start. He didn’t have a collapse. He just kept scoring at exactly the pace KKR needed, ball after ball, over after over.
KKR won by three wickets. Pandey got Man of the Match. KKR claimed their second title.
And here’s the kicker — the 2014 Final is the only IPL Final that produced two of the top five highest individual scores.
Saha and Pandey. 115 and 94. Same pitch. Same night. Opposite ends of the result.
Cricket doesn’t get much better than that.
Quick Comparison: The Top 5 at a Glance
| Rank | Player | Score | Balls | Team | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shane Watson | 117 | 57 | CSK | 2018 | Won |
| 2 | Wriddhiman Saha | 115* | 55 | KXIP | 2014 | Lost |
| 3 | Sai Sudharsan | 96 | 46 | GT | 2023 | Lost |
| 4 | Murali Vijay | 95 | 52 | CSK | 2011 | Won |
| 5 | Manish Pandey | 94 | 50 | KKR | 2014 | Won |
Overseas vs Indian: Who Dominates IPL Finals?
One thing worth noting — three of the top five scores came from overseas batsmen.
Watson leads the pack. But Saha’s 115* proves Indian batsmen aren’t far behind.
The highest individual score in IPL history by an Indian batsman in a Final still belongs to Saha.
No Indian has crossed 100 in a Final since. That’s not a lack of talent — it’s a sign of how tough that stage really is.
For overseas batsmen, Watson’s 117 is the ceiling. Nobody from outside India has come within 20 runs of it.
Why IPL Final Scores Hit Different?
A 90 in a league game gets you a highlight reel. A 90 in a Final gets you immortality.
The difference is pressure. In a league match, you can afford a bad over. In a Final, one bad over can end your team’s season.
The bowlers are sharper. The captain is more involved. The crowd is louder. And the margin between hero and zero is razor-thin.
Every batsman on this list felt that pressure — and chose to attack it instead of shrinking from it.
That’s what makes these the highest individual scores in IPL Finals. Not just the runs. The mindset.
FAQs
- Who has the highest score in an IPL Final ever?
Shane Watson with 117 off 57 balls for CSK against SRH in 2018. It’s also the highest by an overseas batsman in a Final.
- What’s the highest IPL Final score by an Indian batsman?
Wriddhiman Saha’s 115 not out off 55 balls for KXIP in the 2014 Final. The record still stands.
- How many centuries have been scored in IPL Finals?
Just two — Watson (117) and Saha (115*). Both are on this list.
- Which IPL Final had the most batting fireworks?
The 2014 Final. Saha scored 115*, Pandey scored 94 — both making the top five. It remains unmatched.
- Did Sai Sudharsan score a century in the 2023 Final?
No — he fell four runs short with 96 off 46 balls. But his strike rate of 208.69 is the highest among all five innings listed here.
Also Check:
