Biggest Wins by Runs in IPL History — All-Time Top 25 Ranked

When 146 Runs Separated Two IPL Teams

On 6 May 2017, at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, Mumbai Indians posted 212/3 and then bowled out Delhi Daredevils for just 66. The 146-run margin remains the largest victory by runs in IPL history — a record that has survived eight full seasons and shows no sign of falling.

What makes this list fascinating is not just the scale of these beatdowns but the patterns they reveal. Certain venues, certain franchises, and certain eras of the IPL produce lopsided results far more often than others. From the inaugural season's wild run-fests to the modern batting arms race, the IPL has delivered 25 victories with margins of 86 runs or more.

The All-Time Top 25 — Biggest IPL Wins by Run Margin

The Top 5 — Deep Dive

1. Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Daredevils by 146 runs (2017)

Match 46 of IPL 2017, a dead rubber for bottom-placed Delhi at their home ground. MI's top order went berserk — Lendl Simmons hammered 67 off 38 and Kieron Pollard blasted 50 off 17 as Mumbai posted 212/3. Delhi's chase was over before it started: they crumbled to 66 all out in 13.2 overs. No batsman passed 20. Mitchell McClenaghan and Harbhajan Singh shared six wickets between them, and the 146-run margin became the largest in IPL history. The innings total of 66 also ranked among the lowest team scores ever recorded in the tournament.

2. Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Gujarat Lions by 144 runs (2016)

The 2016 season belonged to Virat Kohli, and this match was its peak. RCB posted 248/3 at the Chinnaswamy — Kohli scored 109 off 55 and AB de Villiers added an unbeaten 129 off 52 in one of the most destructive partnerships the IPL has seen. Gujarat Lions were shell-shocked, managing just 104 all out. The 144-run margin was the closest anyone has come to MI's 2017 record, and the 248 remains one of the highest totals in IPL history.

3. Kolkata Knight Riders beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 140 runs (2008)

The inaugural IPL season, and Brendon McCullum wrote its opening chapter with 158 not out off 73 balls — the first century in IPL history. KKR posted 222/3 at the Chinnaswamy, and RCB, in front of their own fans, collapsed to 82 all out. The 140-run defeat set the tone for what would become a recurring theme: RCB appearing on both sides of this list with alarming frequency. McCullum's strike rate of 216.43 that night remains one of the most explosive knocks ever played in T20 cricket.

4. Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Kings XI Punjab by 138 runs (2015)

Another Chinnaswamy carnage night. Chris Gayle smashed 117 off 57, and de Villiers contributed 47 off 24 as RCB posted 226/3. KXIP's chase never materialised — they were bowled out for 88, with Harshal Patel and Mitchell Starc doing the damage. The 138-run margin was RCB's second entry in the top four, and the Chinnaswamy's fourth. The 2015 edition cemented Bangalore's reputation as the IPL's most extreme venue — capable of producing both record totals and catastrophic collapses.

5. Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Pune Warriors by 130 runs (2013)

The game that produced the highest team total in IPL history. Chris Gayle's 175 not out off 66 balls — still the highest individual score in IPL — powered RCB to 263/5. Pune Warriors, a franchise dissolved after the 2013 edition, managed 133 in reply. Gayle hit 17 sixes that evening, a record that stood for years. The 130-run margin was almost secondary to the individual carnage, but it firmly established Chinnaswamy as the spiritual home of IPL batting violence.

Patterns and Insights

Three franchises dominate this list: Mumbai Indians appear five times (ranks 1, 12, 13, 15, 21), Royal Challengers Bangalore appear four times as winners (ranks 2, 4, 5, 7) but also feature prominently as losers — appearing on the receiving end five times (ranks 3, 6, 8, 16, 20). Chennai Super Kings and KKR each appear four times as victors. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore is the single most represented venue with four entries in the top five alone, reflecting its flat batting surface and short boundaries. Delhi franchises (Daredevils/Capitals) have been on the losing end of six of the 25 biggest hammerings — more than any other franchise. The 2008 and 2017 seasons each produced three entries, while the UAE-era seasons (2020-2021) and the 2024-2025 period also feature multiple blowouts.

Why This Record Matters

Large winning margins are a barometer of competitive balance — or the lack of it. In the early IPL seasons (2008-2011), margins above 100 runs were relatively common because T20 batting techniques were unevenly distributed. Some franchises had McCullum, Gayle, and Gilchrist; others had lineups built for Test cricket. As the IPL matured, average first-innings scores climbed from around 155 in 2008 to 175+ in recent editions, but bowling standards improved in parallel. The result: genuinely lopsided games became rarer in the middle era (2017-2020) before returning in the Impact Player era from 2023 onwards. The introduction of the Impact Player rule, which effectively gave batting sides a sixth specialist batsman, may have contributed to the resurgence of 200+ totals and the 100+ margins that follow them.

Could Anyone Break the 146-Run Record?

The record has held since 2017, but the trajectory of IPL scoring suggests it is vulnerable. Total team scores have trended upward — 230+ totals, once a rarity, appeared multiple times in both 2024 and 2025. For a 146-run margin to be broken, you need two ingredients: a total above 230 and a bowling attack capable of restricting the opposition below 90. The second ingredient is the hard part. Modern IPL lineups bat deep, and even in collapse scenarios, tailenders with T20 experience can typically scratch past 100. A more realistic threat to the record would come on a two-paced surface where one team bats first on a flat deck that deteriorates sharply under lights — a scenario that surfaces occasionally at venues like Chepauk and Hyderabad. The record is beatable, but it requires a perfect storm of one team firing on all cylinders while the other suffers a total system failure.

FAQ

What is the biggest win by runs in IPL history?

The biggest win by runs in IPL history is 146 runs, achieved by Mumbai Indians against Delhi Daredevils at Feroz Shah Kotla on 6 May 2017. MI scored 212/3 and bowled Delhi out for 66.

Who holds the record for the largest IPL victory margin?

Mumbai Indians hold the record. Lendl Simmons (67 off 38) and Kieron Pollard (50 off 17) powered the batting, while Mitchell McClenaghan led the bowling attack that dismissed Delhi for 66.

How many times has the 146-run record nearly been broken?

The closest challenge came in 2016 when Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Gujarat Lions by 144 runs — just two runs short of the record. Before that, KKR's 140-run win in the inaugural 2008 season had held the top spot for nine years.

Why does M Chinnaswamy Stadium feature so often in this list?

The Chinnaswamy in Bangalore sits at an elevation of 920 metres above sea level, which means the ball travels further through the thinner air. Combined with short boundaries and a flat batting surface, it consistently produces the highest totals and, consequently, the largest margins when one team fires and the other does not.

When was the previous record set before Mumbai Indians' 146-run win?

Before MI's 2017 record, the biggest win was KKR's 140-run victory over RCB in the very first IPL match on 18 April 2008 — Brendon McCullum's iconic 158 not out game. That record held for nine seasons.

What is the second-biggest win by runs in IPL?

The second-biggest is RCB's 144-run victory over Gujarat Lions in 2016, powered by centuries from both Virat Kohli (109 off 55) and AB de Villiers (129 off 52).

Is the 146-run margin a T20 world record or IPL-specific?

The 146-run margin is specific to the IPL. In all T20 cricket globally, larger margins have been recorded in domestic and associate-nation matches, but within franchise T20 leagues, the MI record remains one of the largest ever.