Chris Morris holds the record for the highest strike rate in an IPL innings, scoring 38 not out off just 9 balls at a strike rate of 422.22 for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017. In a league built on big hitting, this list celebrates the batters who squeezed the most runs out of every ball they faced. To keep the record meaningful, this ranking only counts innings of 25 runs or more, because tiny cameos can distort the numbers. Every entry below is verified from official scorecards and established cricket records.
These are not long match winning centuries. They are short, violent bursts, mostly from batters who walked in during the last few overs with one job: clear the boundary. Lower order hitters dominate this list, and several of these knocks decided close games. Here is the complete top 10, plus the story of how the record changed from 2008 to 2026.
IPL Stats Batters with Highest Strike Rates in an Innings Overview
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Record | Highest strike rate in a single IPL innings, minimum 25 runs |
| Record holder | Chris Morris |
| Strike rate | 422.22 |
| Innings | 38 not out off 9 balls |
| Match | Delhi Daredevils vs Rising Pune Supergiant, Pune, 2017 |
| Current as of | IPL 2026 season |
Top 10 Batters with Highest Strike Rates in an Innings
| Rank | Player | Strike Rate | Runs | Balls | Team | Opposition | Season | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Morris | 422.22 | 38 not out | 9 | Delhi Daredevils | Rising Pune Supergiant | 2017 | Pune |
| 2 | Shashank Singh | 416.66 | 25 | 6 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Gujarat Titans | 2022 | Mumbai, Wankhede |
| 3 | Albie Morkel | 400.00 | 28 | 7 | Chennai Super Kings | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 2012 | Chennai |
| 4 | AB de Villiers | 387.50 | 31 | 8 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Pune Warriors India | 2013 | Bengaluru |
| 5 | Balachandra Akhil | 385.71 | 27 not out | 7 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Deccan Chargers | 2008 | Hyderabad |
| 6 | Romario Shepherd | 378.57 | 53 not out | 14 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Chennai Super Kings | 2025 | Bengaluru |
| 7 | Pat Cummins | 373.33 | 56 not out | 15 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Mumbai Indians | 2022 | Pune |
| 8 | AB de Villiers | 372.72 | 41 | 11 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Mumbai Indians | 2017 | Bengaluru |
| 9 | Andre Russell | 369.23 | 48 not out | 13 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 2019 | Bengaluru |
| 10 | Chris Gayle | 350.00 | 35 | 10 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 2015 | Hyderabad |
Sarfaraz Khan also scored at 350.00, an unbeaten 35 off 10 balls for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016, and shares the tenth spot. Suresh Raina just misses this top 10 with his famous 87 off 25 balls at a strike rate of 348 for Chennai Super Kings against Kings XI Punjab in the 2014 Qualifier, a knock that included 12 fours and 6 sixes.
Record History
The record began with a bang in the very first IPL season. In 2008, Balachandra Akhil, a little known Royal Challengers Bengaluru all rounder, smashed 27 not out off 7 balls against Deccan Chargers in Hyderabad at 385.71. It stayed the highest strike rate in an IPL innings for four years.
In 2012, Albie Morkel broke the 400 barrier. With Chennai Super Kings needing 43 off 12 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Morkel hit 28 off 7 balls at exactly 400.00, famously taking 28 runs off one over from Virat Kohli to seal a last ball win in Chennai.
AB de Villiers came close in 2013 with 31 off 8 balls at 387.50, but the record stood until 2017, when Chris Morris set the mark that still stands. Coming in late for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in Pune, Morris smashed 38 not out off 9 balls at 422.22.
Since then, challengers have come and gone. In 2022, Shashank Singh played one of the most surprising innings in IPL history, 25 off 6 balls at 416.66 for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Gujarat Titans, the second highest on this list and the highest by an Indian batter. Pat Cummins joined the chart the same season with 56 not out off 15 balls at 373.33 for Kolkata Knight Riders against Mumbai Indians, reaching his fifty in just 14 balls, the joint fastest fifties in IPL history.
The newest entry is Romario Shepherd. In 2025, he walked in for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Chennai Super Kings with only two overs left and smashed 53 not out off 14 balls at 378.57, with 4 fours and 6 sixes, taking 33 runs off one over from Khaleel Ahmed and 54 runs in the final two overs overall, the most ever in overs 19 and 20 of an IPL innings. The IPL 2026 season produced many explosive fifties but no new entries in this top 10.
What This Record Tells Us
Seven of the ten innings came from batters at number 6 or lower, and most arrived with fewer than 30 balls left in the innings. This record belongs to finishers, not openers. The job is simple: maximum damage in minimum time, usually in a chase or when setting a late target.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are everywhere in this story. Five of the ten innings involve them, either their batters (de Villiers twice, Gayle, Shepherd, Akhil) or as the opposition (Russell, Morkel). Bengaluru also hosted four of these knocks, which says plenty about the small boundaries and true pitches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The list also shows how the game has changed. The newest entries, Shepherd in 2025 and Cummins and Shashank in 2022, prove that even with bowlers getting smarter, batters keep finding new gears. For context on where the big hitting happens in an innings, see the highest strike rates in the death overs and the highest strike rates in the middle overs. Many of these same hitters also feature in the most runs scored in a single IPL over, and the 2026 season added fresh names to the IPL 2026 batting stats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has the highest strike rate in an IPL innings?
Chris Morris. He scored 38 not out off 9 balls at a strike rate of 422.22 for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in Pune during IPL 2017.
Why does this list use a minimum of 25 runs?
Without a cutoff, tiny cameos would top the chart. With a minimum of 20 runs, Krunal Pandya leads with 20 not out off 4 balls at a strike rate of 500 for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2020. The 25 run cutoff keeps the record about real innings, not lucky edges.
Which batter has the highest strike rate among fifty plus scores in IPL?
Romario Shepherd. His unbeaten 53 off 14 balls at 378.57 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Chennai Super Kings in 2025 is the highest strike rate for any fifty plus score in IPL history.
Has any batter crossed a strike rate of 400 in an IPL innings?
Yes, three batters. Chris Morris at 422.22, Shashank Singh at 416.66, and Albie Morkel at exactly 400.00.
Which team appears most in this record list?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, involved in five of the ten innings. The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru hosted four of them.
Did any IPL 2026 innings enter the top 10?
No. The 2026 season was one of the most explosive ever, with many fifties in under 20 balls, but none crossed the 350.00 mark needed to enter this list.
Where can I check these numbers officially?
The official IPL stats page at iplt20.com carries the verified scorecards and season records for every match.
Statistics updated through: 13 October 2026
