Highest Run Scores in an IPL Final

Shane Watson holds the record for the highest individual score in an IPL final, with an unbeaten 117 for Chennai Super Kings against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018. Wriddhiman Saha is second with 115* for Kings XI Punjab in the 2014 final, while Sai Sudharsan's 96 for Gujarat Titans in 2023 is the third-highest score.

Murali Vijay and Manish Pandey also produced 90-plus scores in IPL finals, while Faf du Plessis, Chris Gayle, David Warner and Virat Kohli feature among the other leading performances.

Highest Individual Scores in IPL Final History

Only two players have scored centuries in an IPL final: Shane Watson and Wriddhiman Saha. Watson's 117* remains the benchmark even after the 2026 season.

1. Shane Watson – 117* vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2018

Shane Watson's unbeaten 117 is the highest score in IPL final history.

The Chennai Super Kings opener produced the innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Wankhede Stadium in the 2018 final.

Watson had a slow start and did not score from his first ten deliveries.

Once he settled, the innings changed rapidly. Watson attacked both pace and spin and reached his hundred during a dominant chase of 179.

Watson finished on 117 not out from 57 balls, hitting 11 fours and eight sixes.

Chennai Super Kings reached 181/2 in 18.3 overs and won by eight wickets.

Watson was named Player of the Match, and his 117* became the highest individual score ever recorded in an IPL final.

2. Wriddhiman Saha – 115* vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 2014

Wriddhiman Saha became the first batter to score a century in an IPL final when he made 115 not out for Kings XI Punjab in 2014.

Saha came to the crease after Punjab lost early wickets and transformed the innings with aggressive batting.

He reached his century with a six and finished unbeaten on 115 from 55 deliveries.

His innings helped Kings XI Punjab reach 199/4, which looked like a strong total for a final.

Kolkata Knight Riders, however, successfully chased 200 with three balls remaining.

Saha's century therefore remains the highest individual score in an IPL final by a player whose team lost the match.

His 115* stood as the overall final record until Watson scored 117* in 2018.

3. Sai Sudharsan – 96 vs Chennai Super Kings, 2023

Sai Sudharsan scored 96 from 47 balls for Gujarat Titans in the 2023 IPL final against Chennai Super Kings.

It is the highest IPL final score by a batter who did not reach a century.

Sudharsan accelerated sharply during the second half of the innings.

He reached fifty before attacking the Chennai bowlers in the final overs and moved into the nineties with consecutive sixes.

He was dismissed LBW for 96, only four runs short of becoming the third centurion in an IPL final.

Gujarat Titans finished on 214/4.

Rain later reduced Chennai's chase to 171 from 15 overs under the DLS method. CSK reached the target from the final delivery to win their fifth IPL title.

Sudharsan's 96 remains the third-highest score in IPL final history.

4. Murali Vijay – 95 vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2011

Murali Vijay scored 95 for Chennai Super Kings against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2011 final.

Before Saha's century in 2014, Vijay's innings was the highest individual score ever made in an IPL final.

Vijay opened the batting and helped Chennai build a dominant first-innings total.

He fell five runs short of a century, but his innings played a major role in CSK reaching 205/5.

Chennai then restricted RCB and successfully defended the title.

Vijay's 95 remained the final record for three seasons before Saha scored 115* in 2014.

5. Manish Pandey – 94 vs Kings XI Punjab, 2014

Manish Pandey scored 94 from 50 balls during Kolkata Knight Riders' successful chase in the 2014 IPL final.

The innings came in the same match in which Wriddhiman Saha had earlier made 115*.

KKR were chasing 200 to win the title.

Pandey controlled the chase after early wickets and combined attacking shots with regular strike rotation.

He struck 94 from 50 balls and put Kolkata in a position to complete the chase in the final over.

KKR reached 200 and won by three wickets.

Pandey was named Player of the Match for an innings that remains one of the greatest successful-chase performances in an IPL final.

6. Faf du Plessis – 86 vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 2021

Faf du Plessis scored 86 for Chennai Super Kings against Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2021 IPL final.

His innings helped CSK reach 192/3 in Dubai.

Du Plessis batted through almost the entire innings and was dismissed from the final ball.

CSK's total proved too large for Kolkata, who finished on 165/9.

Chennai won by 27 runs to claim their fourth IPL title.

The 86 remains the highest score in the 2021 final and one of the six biggest individual scores ever recorded in an IPL title match.

7. Shane Watson – 80 vs Mumbai Indians, 2019

Shane Watson appears for the second time among the highest run scores in an IPL final.

He made 80 for Chennai Super Kings against Mumbai Indians in 2019.

Mumbai had scored 149/8, giving Chennai a target of 150.

Watson held the chase together while wickets fell around him.

He took the game into the final over but was run out for 80.

Chennai finished on 148/7 and lost by just one run.

Watson therefore owns both the highest score in IPL final history and another top-ten final innings.

8. Chris Gayle – 76 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2016

Chris Gayle scored 76 from 38 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2016 IPL final.

RCB were chasing 209 after Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 208/7.

Gayle attacked from the start and reached his fifty from just 25 balls.

He and Virat Kohli added 114 runs for the opening wicket, putting RCB in a strong position.

Gayle eventually fell for 76, and Kohli was dismissed for 54 soon after.

The middle and lower order could not maintain the same scoring rate, and RCB finished on 200/7.

Sunrisers Hyderabad won the final by eight runs.

9. Virat Kohli – 75* vs Gujarat Titans, 2026

Virat Kohli entered the top ten highest scores in IPL final history with an unbeaten 75 against Gujarat Titans in 2026.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru were chasing 156 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Kohli reached his fifty from 25 balls and stayed unbeaten until the chase was complete.

Venkatesh Iyer supported him with a rapid 32 from 16 balls as Bengaluru controlled the required rate.

RCB reached 161/5 with 12 balls remaining, successfully defending the IPL title they had won in 2025.

Kohli was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 75.

The innings moved him into ninth place among the highest individual scores in IPL final history.

10. David Warner – 69 vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2016

David Warner scored 69 from 38 balls while captaining Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2016 final.

His innings laid the foundation for SRH's 208/7.

Warner attacked throughout the powerplay and reached his fifty from 24 balls.

He eventually fell for 69, but Yuvraj Singh and Ben Cutting continued the scoring.

SRH defended the total by eight runs to win their first IPL title.

At the time, Warner's 69 was also the highest individual score by a captain in an IPL final.

Highest Score in an IPL Final

Shane Watson's unbeaten 117 remains the highest score in IPL final history.

He achieved the record for Chennai Super Kings against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018.

Watson and Saha are the only two players to cross 100 in an IPL final.

Centuries in IPL Finals

Only two centuries have been scored in IPL final history.

Wriddhiman Saha – 115* in 2014

Saha became the first player to score a hundred in an IPL final.

He reached the milestone for Kings XI Punjab against Kolkata Knight Riders but ended on the losing side.

Shane Watson – 117* in 2018

Watson became the second IPL final centurion and moved ahead of Saha's record.

Unlike Saha, Watson's century came in a successful chase and delivered the championship to Chennai Super Kings.

Highest Score in an IPL Final While Chasing

Shane Watson's 117 is also the highest score while chasing in an IPL final.*

His innings helped Chennai chase 179 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018.

Manish Pandey's 94 in 2014 is another major final chase innings, while Virat Kohli's unbeaten 75 in the 2026 final also came while chasing.

Watson appears twice because he produced major final chases in consecutive seasons.

Highest Score in an IPL Final in a Losing Cause

Wriddhiman Saha's 115 is the highest individual score in an IPL final by a player from the losing team.*

His unbeaten hundred took Kings XI Punjab to 199/4 in 2014, but Kolkata Knight Riders chased the target.

Sai Sudharsan's 96 in 2023 and Shane Watson's 80 in 2019 are other major final innings that ended in defeat.

A big individual score can shape a final without guaranteeing the trophy.

Highest Score by an Indian in IPL Final History

Wriddhiman Saha holds the record for the highest score by an Indian batter in an IPL final with 115 not out.

Sai Sudharsan is second among Indian batters with 96, followed by Murali Vijay and Manish Pandey.

Saha remains the only Indian batter to score a century in an IPL final.

Highest Score by an Overseas Player in IPL Final

Shane Watson holds the overseas record with 117 not out.

Faf du Plessis, Chris Gayle and David Warner are the other overseas batters inside the overall top ten.

Watson is the only player to appear twice among the top ten highest IPL final scores.

How the Record Changed After IPL 2026

The main change to the all-time list in 2026 came from Virat Kohli.

Kohli scored 75 not out from 42 balls as Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased 156 against Gujarat Titans.

The innings entered the top ten but did not threaten Watson's long-standing 117* record.

The top three therefore remained unchanged:

1. Shane Watson – 117*
2. Wriddhiman Saha – 115*
3. Sai Sudharsan – 96

Watson's 2018 innings has now remained the record for eight IPL seasons.

FAQs

Who has the highest score in an IPL final?

Shane Watson holds the record with 117 not out for Chennai Super Kings against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 IPL final.

How many centuries have been scored in IPL finals?

Two centuries have been scored in IPL finals. Shane Watson made 117* in 2018, while Wriddhiman Saha scored 115* in 2014.

Who has the highest score by an Indian in an IPL final?

Wriddhiman Saha holds the Indian record with 115 not out for Kings XI Punjab against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014.

What is Virat Kohli's highest score in an IPL final?

Virat Kohli scored 75 not out against Gujarat Titans in the 2026 IPL final. RCB won the match by five wickets.

What was Sai Sudharsan's score in the 2023 IPL final?

Sai Sudharsan scored 96 from 47 balls for Gujarat Titans against Chennai Super Kings. GT lost the rain-affected final by five wickets under the DLS method.

Who scored the first century in an IPL final?

Wriddhiman Saha became the first batter to score an IPL final century when he made 115 not out in 2014.

Source

• IPLT20 – Shane Watson 117 in the 2018 IPL Final*
  View official IPL match report