KL Rahul holds the record for the highest individual scores by a captain in IPL history. His unbeaten 132 for Kings XI Punjab against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2020 stands at the top of the list. The knock came in Dubai during the UAE leg of the 2020 season. Rahul faced only 69 balls and struck 14 fours and 7 sixes. No other captain has crossed 130 in a single IPL innings since that night.
Scoring big as a captain is never easy. A leader carries the extra load of field settings, bowling changes and team morale. Yet many skippers have played great innings while wearing the armband. This list brings together every top score made by a captain in the league. It starts with Sachin Tendulkar, the first captain to score a hundred in the IPL, and runs all the way to Shubman Gill, the first captain to score one in a playoff. The tables below give the full top 10, the record history and the key questions fans ask.
IPL Stats: Highest Individual Scores by Captain Overview
The record belongs to KL Rahul. His 132 not out against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai on 24 September 2020 is the highest score ever made by an IPL captain. Here is the record at a glance.
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| Highest score by a captain | KL Rahul 132 not out |
| Team | Kings XI Punjab |
| Opposition | Royal Challengers Bangalore |
| Venue | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai |
| Season | 2020 |
| Captains who have scored a hundred | 11 |
| Most hundreds as captain | Virat Kohli (5) |
Top 10 Highest Individual Scores by IPL Captains
Every entry below was scored by the team’s captain in that match. The list covers all scores through the 2026 season.
| Rank | Captain | Score | Balls | Opposition | Team | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KL Rahul | 132* | 69 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Kings XI Punjab | Dubai | 2020 |
| 2 | David Warner | 126 | 59 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Hyderabad | 2017 |
| 3 | Virender Sehwag | 119 | 56 | Deccan Chargers | Delhi Daredevils | Hyderabad | 2011 |
| 4 | Sanju Samson | 119 | 63 | Punjab Kings | Rajasthan Royals | Mumbai (Wankhede) | 2021 |
| 5 | Rishabh Pant | 118* | 61 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Lucknow Super Giants | Lucknow (Ekana) | 2025 |
| 6 | Virat Kohli | 113 | 50 | Kings XI Punjab | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Bengaluru | 2016 |
| 7 | Virat Kohli | 109 | 55 | Gujarat Lions | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Bengaluru | 2016 |
| 8 | Virat Kohli | 108* | 58 | Rising Pune Supergiants | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Bengaluru | 2016 |
| 9 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | 108* | 60 | Lucknow Super Giants | Chennai Super Kings | Chennai | 2024 |
| 10 | Adam Gilchrist | 106 | 55 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Kings XI Punjab | Dharamsala | 2011 |
Just outside the top 10 sit two more KL Rahul knocks, 103 not out twice against Mumbai Indians in 2022, and Shubman Gill’s 104 for Gujarat Titans in the 2026 Qualifier 2. For more captaincy batting feats, read our IPL Stats: Most 50+ Scores as Captain and the IPL Stats: Captains with Most 500+ Runs in a Season lists.
Record History
The record for the highest score by an IPL captain has changed hands only three times. Sachin Tendulkar set the first mark in 2011. Virender Sehwag raised it in the same season. It then stood untouched for six years, surviving even Virat Kohli’s famous 2016 season, until David Warner took it in 2017. KL Rahul set the current mark in 2020.
| Year | Record holder | Score | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Sachin Tendulkar | 100* | Mumbai Indians vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Mumbai | First ever hundred by an IPL captain |
| 2011 | Virender Sehwag | 119 | Delhi Daredevils vs Deccan Chargers, Hyderabad | New record; came in a successful chase |
| 2016 | Virat Kohli | 113 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab, Bengaluru | Three hundreds in one season, but short of 119 |
| 2017 | David Warner | 126 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Hyderabad | New record; stood for three years |
| 2020 | KL Rahul | 132* | Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Dubai | Current record; also the highest score by an Indian in IPL |
The official IPL website keeps the full stats archive for every season. Fans who want the team by team view can also check our IPL Stats: First Captain to Score Century for Each Team article.
What This Record Tells Us
Only 11 captains have ever scored a hundred in the IPL, for a total of 18 captain hundreds through the 2026 season. That small number shows how rare it is to carry the team and the innings at the same time. The captain often walks in under pressure and bats with the result on his mind, not his own score.
Virat Kohli owns three spots in the top 10 and five of the 18 captain hundreds overall. No other captain has more than three. His 2016 season alone produced three of the top 10 scores, yet even he could not break Sehwag’s 119 that year. It took Warner’s power hitting in 2017 and Rahul’s clean striking in 2020 to move the record.
Most of these big knocks came from openers who could face the most balls. Rahul, Warner, Sehwag, Gilchrist, Kohli and Gaikwad all opened in their record innings. Seven of the top 10 scores came in wins, which underlines the value of a captain leading from the front. The three that came in defeats, Samson’s 119, Pant’s 118 not out and Gaikwad’s 108 not out, still rank among the finest losing efforts in league history. A handy companion read is our List: IPL Centuries in Losing Cause.
Recent seasons have added fresh names. Gaikwad became the first Chennai Super Kings captain to score a hundred in 2024, Pant roared back to form with 118 not out in 2025, and Gill scored the first ever hundred by a captain in an IPL playoff in 2026. Read their leadership numbers on our Shubman Gill IPL Captaincy Record and Rishabh Pant IPL Captaincy Record pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who holds the record for the highest score by a captain in IPL?
KL Rahul holds the record. He scored 132 not out for Kings XI Punjab against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai on 24 September 2020. It is also the highest score by an Indian in IPL history.
Who was the first captain to score a century in the IPL?
Sachin Tendulkar was the first. He scored 100 not out for Mumbai Indians against Kochi Tuskers Kerala in Mumbai on 15 April 2011.
Which captain has scored the most centuries in IPL?
Virat Kohli leads the way with five centuries as captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Three of them came in the 2016 season alone. KL Rahul is next with three centuries as captain.
How many captains have scored centuries in the IPL?
Eleven different players have scored a hundred while captaining their side, for a total of 18 captain hundreds through the 2026 season.
What was David Warner’s record score as captain?
David Warner scored 126 from 59 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders in Hyderabad on 30 April 2017. It was the highest score by a captain from 2017 until KL Rahul broke it in 2020.
Which captain scored a century in an IPL playoff?
Shubman Gill is the only captain to score a hundred in an IPL playoff. His 104 for Gujarat Titans against Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 of the 2026 season is also the fastest hundred in IPL playoff history, off 47 balls.
Have MS Dhoni or Rohit Sharma scored a century as captain?
No. MS Dhoni has never scored an IPL century. Rohit Sharma’s IPL hundreds came before he became Mumbai Indians captain in 2013 and after his regular captaincy ended, so none of them count as captain’s knocks.
What is Rishabh Pant’s highest score as a captain?
Rishabh Pant’s highest score as captain is 118 not out for Lucknow Super Giants against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Ekana Stadium on 27 May 2025. It came in the final league match of the 2025 season.
Statistics updated through: 24 October 2026
