Powerplays have never been more frenetic than they have been in the last few years in the IPL since the introduction of the Impact Sub rule in 2023. The new-ball phase, with only two fielders outside the 30-yard circle, has become the most conducive platform for teams to go all gung-ho and set the stage for gargantuan scores. Sample this: Across all 18 previous editions of the IPL until 2025, the overall tournament strike rate in a season crossed the 150-mark for the first time in 2024. That moved to an all-time high at 152.39 in 2025 across 73 matches, with 7887 Powerplay runs coming at a staggering 151.96 strike rate. Yet, none of them can match up to the chilling effect Suresh Raina produced 12 years ago in an emphatic Powerplay innings, single-handedly. The IPL 2014 Qualifier 2 match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai between Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab first had Virender Sehwag roll back the years and carve a career-best 122 before Raina played an all-timer knock, ranking among the very best in IPL history. Interestingly, Raina’s stunning assault on a quality Punjab attack continues to find relevance to this day in 2026, for it continues to be the benchmark of Powerplay batting in all IPL and T20 cricket across the globe. Raising all possibilities in CSK’s pursuit of a 227-run target that evening in Mumbai, Raina came ever so close to batting perfection in the format. ALSO READ| IPL 7: The return of a King How Raina’s 87 off 24 is still the highest Powerplay batting score? Walking in at 1 for 1 in the third delivery of the innings, Raina played 24 of the remaining 34 deliveries in the Powerplay. He clubbed 18 of them for boundaries – 12 fours and six sixes – and only played out four dot balls. The 84 runs through boundaries were more than every IPL team score in the Powerplay up until that point. And while teams have moved past that mark, Raina’s 87, which ended in anti-climatic run-out off the first ball after the Powerplay, is still the highest knock by a batter in a Powerplay innings. Highest T20 Powerplay scores by a batter Three of the best individual scores by a batter in a T20 Powerplay have been etched in the IPL. Australians Travis Head and Jake-Fraser McGurk had put on blinding starts of 84 and 78 respectively, in 2024, still falling behind Raina. .infographic{font-family:”Roboto”,sans-serif;background:#fff;margin-bottom:25px;padding:0;max-width:640px;min-width:640px;} .infographic__header{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#f39c12 0%,#e67e22 100%);padding:20px;text-align:center;} .infographic__title{color:#fff;font-size:18px;font-weight:700;margin:0;line-height:1.4;opacity:1;} .infographic__subtitle{color:#fff;font-size:13px;margin-top:8px;opacity:0.95;line-height:1.4;} .infographic__hero{background:#2c3e50;padding:30px 20px;text-align:center;} .infographic__hero-badge{background:#f39c12;color:#2c3e50;padding:8px 16px;border-radius:20px;font-size:11px;font-weight:700;display:inline-block;margin-bottom:12px;opacity:1;line-height:1.4;} .infographic__hero-name{color:#f39c12;font-size:24px;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:10px;opacity:1;line-height:1.4;} .infographic__hero-score{font-size:64px;font-weight:700;color:#fff;line-height:1;margin-bottom:8px;} .infographic__hero-score-small{font-size:32px;color:#95a5a6;} .infographic__hero-details{color:#ecf0f1;font-size:13px;margin-bottom:8px;opacity:1;line-height:1.4;} .infographic__hero-context{color:#95a5a6;font-size:12px;opacity:1;line-height:1.4;} .infographic__rankings{padding:20px;background:#f8f9fa;} .infographic__rankings-title{font-size:15px;font-weight:700;color:#2c3e50;text-align:center;margin-bottom:15px;opacity:1;line-height:1.4;} .infographic__rank-list{display:flex;flex-direction:column;gap:10px;} .infographic__rank-item{background:#fff;padding:15px;border-radius:8px;box-shadow:0 2px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;border-left:4px solid;} .infographic__rank-item–first{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#fff9e6 0%,#fff3cd 100%);border-color:#f39c12;} .infographic__rank-item–ipl{border-color:#3498db;} .infographic__rank-item–other{border-color:#95a5a6;} .infographic__rank-left{flex:1;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:15px;} .infographic__rank-position{font-size:28px;font-weight:700;color:#2c3e50;min-width:35px;} .infographic__rank-item–first .infographic__rank-position{color:#f39c12;} .infographic__rank-details{flex:1;} .infographic__rank-player{font-size:14px;font-weight:700;color:#2c3e50;margin-bottom:4px;opacity:1;line-height:1.3;} .infographic__rank-match{font-size:11px;color:#7f8c8d;opacity:1;line-height:1.3;} .infographic__rank-right{text-align:right;} .infographic__rank-score{font-size:28px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;margin-bottom:4px;} .infographic__rank-item–first .infographic__rank-score{color:#f39c12;} .infographic__rank-item–ipl .infographic__rank-score{color:#3498db;} .infographic__rank-item–other .infographic__rank-score{color:#7f8c8d;} .infographic__rank-sr{font-size:11px;color:#7f8c8d;opacity:1;line-height:1.3;} .infographic__context{padding:20px;background:#fff;} .infographic__context-title{font-size:15px;font-weight:700;color:#2c3e50;text-align:center;margin-bottom:15px;opacity:1;line-height:1.4;} .infographic__context-grid{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(4,1fr);gap:12px;} .infographic__context-item{background:#f8f9fa;padding:12px;border-radius:6px;text-align:center;} .infographic__context-number{font-size:24px;font-weight:700;color:#f39c12;line-height:1;margin-bottom:4px;} .infographic__context-label{font-size:10px;color:#7f8c8d;opacity:1;line-height:1.3;} .infographic__branding{background:#3C4557;color:#fff;padding:12px 20px;text-align:center;font-size:13px;opacity:1;} @media (max-width:480px){ .infographic{min-width:auto;max-width:480px;} .infographic__title{font-size:16px;} .infographic__hero-score{font-size:52px;} .infographic__hero-score-small{font-size:26px;} .infographic__rank-item{flex-direction:column;align-items:flex-start;gap:10px;} .infographic__rank-left{width:100%;} .infographic__rank-right{text-align:left;} .infographic__rank-score{font-size:24px;} .infographic__context-grid{grid-template-columns:repeat(2,1fr);gap:10px;} .infographic__context-number{font-size:22px;} } Highest Powerplay Scores in T20 Cricket Top 5 Individual Performances | 12-Year Record Still Stands IPL 2014 QUALIFIER 2 SURESH RAINA 87(24) Strike Rate: 348 | Chennai Super Kings vs KXIP Highest Powerplay Score in All T20 Cricket History | 12 Years Unbeaten Top 5 Powerplay Performances 1 Suresh Raina CSK vs KXIP | IPL 2014 | Wankhede Stadium 87 (24) SR: 348.00 2 Travis Head vs SRH | IPL 2024 84 (26) SR: 323.07 3 Jake Fraser-McGurk vs MI | IPL 2024 78 (24) SR: 325.00 4 Alex Hales vs Durham | 2017 T20 76 (24) SR: 316.66 5 Evin Lewis vs Patriots | CPL 2017 76 (24) SR: 292.30 Raina’s Historic Powerplay 18 Boundaries (12×4, 6×6) 84 Runs in Boundaries 4 Dot Balls Only 12 Years Unbeaten Indian Express InfoGenIE One can understand how singularly supreme Raina’s knock from the fact that there have only been 141 instances of a batter producing at least 50 runs in a Powerplay innings in all T20 cricket history. The number dwindles to 32 in all of IPL history with Raina standing firmly on top.Story continues below this ad Such blitzes are still a rare feat, even for the modern-day aggressors in India. There have only been 22 instances of a 50-plus Powerplay score by an Indian batter in all T20s, interestingly involving 22 different batters each. As another Chennai-Punjab contest comes around in IPL 2026, a batallion of batting marauders are present on both sides. Yet, matching up to Raina’s famous 87, still the Powerplay benchmark across over 16,000 T20 games, will take some doing.
CSK vs PBKS: Why Suresh Raina’s 87 in IPL 2014 is still the greatest T20 Powerplay innings
