Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers in Bengaluru (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)
The batting revolution in the Indian Premier League has reached another extreme in IPL 2026, with scores above 200 no longer guaranteeing safety. With Royal Challengers Bengaluru smashing 222/4 against Punjab Kings on Sunday, the tournament has officially recorded a total of 53 over 200 this season – the highest ever in a single edition of the IPL.Over 200 total in the IPL edition53 in 202652 in 202541 in 202437 in 202318 in 2022What makes the number even more surprising is the trend over the past few years. IPL 2025 had previously set the record with 52 scores above 200. Before that, IPL 2024 saw 41 such scores, while IPL 2023 had 37. Go back just four years to IPL 2022, and the tally was just 18.
The rise perfectly captures how dramatically T20 batting has evolved.
The aggressive Powerplay intent, brave middle-order batting and expert finishing strokes have completely changed the definition of a ‘good total’ in the IPL. The introduction of the Impact Player rule further tilted the balance towards hitters, allowing teams to field an additional batsman while giving players more freedom to attack from ball one.
What was once considered a match-winning score is now seen as just a score.
RCB’s innings against PBKS was another reminder of this transformation. Virat Kohli laid the foundation with 58 off 37 balls, while Devdutt Padikkal maintained the momentum with 45 off 25 deliveries. But it was
Venkatesh Iyer
Who turned the innings into a complete massacre, scoring an unbeaten 73 off just 40 balls. Even after crossing 220, RCB still cannot feel completely secure as such totals have become increasingly chaseable in modern IPL cricket.
Earlier this same season, Punjab Kings chased down 265 against Delhi Capitals, a score that perfectly summed up the gritty batting era the league had entered. Batsmen now attack from the first delivery, teams regularly score more than 10 runs across entire innings, and death overs have become boundary-pushing performances. In IPL 2026, 200 is no longer an exception. It is simply the starting point for the competition.
