The first over of an innings can set the mood for the whole match. A batter who attacks from ball one puts the bowler under pressure and gives his team a flying start. In the IPL, the record for most runs by a batter in the first over belongs to Yashasvi Jaiswal. The Rajasthan Royals opener smashed 26 runs in the first over against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on 11 May 2023.
KKR captain Nitish Rana decided to bowl the first over himself, hoping the match up against a left hand batter would work. Jaiswal had other ideas. He stepped down the pitch and launched the first ball over long on for six. The second ball went over backward square leg for another six. Then came two fours, a quick two, and one final cut for four. The over read 6, 6, 4, 4, 2, 4. Twenty six runs from six legal balls.
That over broke the record for most runs by a batter in the first over in an IPL match. It also launched one of the most famous innings in IPL history. Jaiswal reached his fifty in just 13 balls, the fastest fifty the league had ever seen. He finished on 98 runs from 47 balls as Rajasthan chased 150 and won by 9 wickets with 41 balls to spare.
Most Runs in First Over of an IPL Match Overview
| Record | Details |
|---|---|
| Most runs by a batter in the first over | 26 runs |
| Record holder | Yashasvi Jaiswal |
| Team | Rajasthan Royals |
| Opponent | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Bowler | Nitish Rana |
| Venue | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Date | 11 May 2023 |
| Result | Rajasthan Royals won by 9 wickets |
Top 10 Most Runs in First Over in an IPL Match
The table below lists the highest individual scores in the first over of an IPL innings, verified across match reports and scorecards.
| Rank | Batter | Team | Runs | Balls | Opponent | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Rajasthan Royals | 26 | 6 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 11 May 2023 |
| 2 | Prithvi Shaw | Delhi Capitals | 24 | 6 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Ahmedabad | 29 Apr 2021 |
| 3 | Finn Allen | Kolkata Knight Riders | 24 | 5 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 2 Apr 2026 |
| 4 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Rajasthan Royals | 22 | Not officially confirmed | Punjab Kings | Not officially confirmed | 2025 |
| 5 | Sunil Narine | Kolkata Knight Riders | 21 | 5 | Rajasthan Royals | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 15 May 2018 |
| 6 | Naman Ojha | Rajasthan Royals | 21 | 5 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Durban | 20 May 2009 |
| 7 | Chris Gayle | Kings XI Punjab | 20 | 6 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Dubai | 28 Apr 2014 |
| 8 | Chris Gayle | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 20 | 6 | Mumbai Indians | Chennai | 27 May 2011 |
| 9 | Adam Gilchrist | Deccan Chargers | 20 | 6 | Delhi Daredevils | Centurion | 22 May 2009 |
| 10 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Rajasthan Royals | 20 | 6 | Delhi Capitals | Guwahati | 8 Apr 2023 |
Record History
The story of big first overs begins in 2009. Adam Gilchrist, the Deccan Chargers captain, scored 20 runs in the first over against the Delhi Daredevils in Centurion. Later that same season, Naman Ojha of the Rajasthan Royals hit 21 runs in the first over against KKR in Durban. Three sixes in five balls made it the highest score by a batter in a first over at that time.
In 2011, Chris Gayle took 20 runs off the first over for RCB against the Mumbai Indians in the Qualifier 2 at Chepauk. Gayle only scored 20 of them himself, but the over cost 27 runs in total because of seven wides. That 27 run over remains the highest team total in the first over of an IPL innings.
Gayle repeated his 20 run first over feat in 2014, this time for Kings XI Punjab against RCB in Dubai. In 2018, Sunil Narine scored 21 runs in five balls for KKR against the Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens. Narine hit two fours and two sixes, matching Ojha’s mark from nine years earlier.
Prithvi Shaw raised the bar in 2021. Opening for the Delhi Capitals against KKR in Ahmedabad, he hit six fours in a row in the first over. Twenty four runs from six legal balls, all along the ground or through the gaps. The over went for 25 in total with a wide.
Then came Jaiswal’s 26 in 2023, the current record. Interestingly, Jaiswal had already scored 20 runs in a first over earlier that same season, against the Delhi Capitals in Guwahati. No other batter appears three times in the top 10.
The newest entry came in the 2026 season. Finn Allen, opening for KKR against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens, smashed 24 runs off five balls from David Payne. His captain Ajinkya Rahane had taken a single off the first ball, and Allen then hit 4, 4, 6, 6, 4. Allen’s 24 is the highest score in a first over by an overseas batter, going past Sunil Narine’s 21.
What This Record Tells Us
A big first over is about intent more than luck. Every batter on this list attacked from the very first ball he faced. Jaiswal danced down the pitch to the first ball. Shaw found the boundary with all six balls. Allen cleared the ropes twice in five balls. None of them waited to see how the pitch behaved.
The powerplay rules help. With only two fielders allowed outside the circle in the first six overs, a batter who beats the infield usually finds the boundary. That is why openers dominate this list and why the numbers keep growing. The first entry in 2009 was 20. The record today is 26.
But a huge first over does not always win the match. KKR conceded the record 26 to Jaiswal and lost by 9 wickets. Yet in 2026, SRH conceded 25 in the first over to Allen and still won by 65 runs. A fast start is a gift, not a guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who scored the most runs in the first over of an IPL match?
Yashasvi Jaiswal. He scored 26 runs in the first over for the Rajasthan Royals against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on 11 May 2023.
Which overseas batter scored the most runs in the first over of an IPL match?
Finn Allen of New Zealand. He scored 24 runs in the first over for KKR against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2026. Before him, the overseas record belonged to Sunil Narine with 21 runs in 2018.
What is the highest team total in the first over of an IPL innings?
27 runs, scored by RCB against the Mumbai Indians in the 2011 Qualifier 2 at Chepauk. Chris Gayle scored 20 of those runs, and seven came from wides.
Who hit six fours in the first over of an IPL match?
Prithvi Shaw. He hit six fours in a row in the first over for the Delhi Capitals against KKR in Ahmedabad in 2021, scoring 24 runs from six balls.
Did Jaiswal’s 26 run over help Rajasthan win?
Yes. Rajasthan chased 150 and won by 9 wickets with 41 balls to spare. Jaiswal also reached his fifty in 13 balls in that innings, the fastest fifty in IPL history at the time.
How many times has a batter scored 20 or more runs in the first over?
At least ten times, as listed in the table above. Yashasvi Jaiswal is the only batter to do it three times, with scores of 26, 22 and 20.
Statistics updated through: 21 October 2026
