IPL 2025’s most explosive batters: Top 10 innings ranked

For years, the famed Indian Premier League (IPL) has provided fans with electrifying batting performances. From blistering beginnings in the powerplay to sparkling finishes in the final overs, the IPL has featured some of T20 cricket’s most explosive knocks.

The IPL 2025 has seen its fair share of outstanding performances with the bat. With the 18th edition of the premier competition coming to an end, it would be appropriate to highlight some of the most exciting innings played throughout the campaign.

IPL 2025’s most explosive batters: Top 10 innings ranked

1. Romario Shepherd (53* off 14 vs CSK)

Romario Shepherd came out to bat on the fifth delivery of the 18th over. A single on his second ball (the final delivery of the 18th) meant he would take strike in the penultimate over. The robust Shepherd smoked Khaleel for four sixes and two fours to put the hosts on a much better platform than they would’ve expected.

Matheesha Pathirana was to bowl the final over. He started off by conceding a single, which brought Shepherd on strike. RCB finished on 213/5 with a final-ball six, which also led the West Indian all rounder to stay unbeaten on 53 off just 14 deliveries. The match went right down to the wire. RCB ended up beating their arch-rivals by two runs.

2. Priyansh Arya (103 off 42 vs CSK)

Priyansh Arya got off to a roaring start, banishing Khaleel Ahmed for a couple of sixes in the opening over of the game. Fifty-three of the 75 runs PBKS posted at the conclusion of the powerplay came off Arya’s willow. PBKS were five down by the eighth over. However, that did not stop Arya from continuing his fireworks.

Six sixes in the span of 10 deliveries brought Arya to touching distance of his hundred. He brought up the landmark with a boundary to become the eighth uncapped player in IPL history to score a ton. The boundary-laden onslaught came to an end in the subsequent over.

3. Ishan Kishan (106* off 47 vs RR)

The game against RR was Ishan Kishan’s first for SRH. By the end of the 10th over, Kishan had reached 33 off 17. Three sixes off Jofra Archer’s third over took Kishan past his fifty. His intent remained the same despite a few wickets falling around him.

He brought up his maiden IPL ton with a double off the final delivery of the 19th over, after hitting Sandeep Sharma for consecutive sixes. SRH posted the second-largest total in the history of the tournament, ending up on 286/6. They eventually sealed a win by 44 runs.

4. Rishabh Pant (118* vs 61 vs RCB)

Rishabh Pant had had a season to forget prior to LSG’s last group-stage game of the season. Moments after stepping out in the middle at No. 3, he kicked off his innings in fine style by taking 18 off Yash Dayal’s first over. The LSG skipper got to his second fifty of the season in the 10th over.

The wicketkeeper-batter reached his ton in 54 deliveries. His somersault celebration was there for all to see after getting to the century. Pant ended up unbeaten on 118 as LSG posted 227 on the board. It was not meant to be for the Pant-led side in the end, with RCB putting on a special batting performance to chase the target down.

5. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (101 off 38 vs GT)

Vaibhav Suryavanshi struck 26 runs off Ishant Sharma (28 in total, including two wides) to boost RR to 60 at the end of four overs. The 14-year-old got to his fifty in just 17 deliveries. The highlight of the game was Suryavanshi’s 30-run spanking of Karim Janat.

The bowling all-rounder, playing his first game of the season, was treated with absolutely no mercy by the southpaw. With that, Suryavanshi got to 94. The budding talent brought up his ton with his 11th maximum of the innings. Suryavanshi’s 35-ball ton was the second-quickest in the IPL.

6. Abhishek Sharma (141 off 55 vs PBKS)

Chasing a formidable 246 for victory, explosive opener Abhishek Sharma provided just the start Sunrisers Hyderabad would’ve hoped for with Travis Head at the other end. The left-handed top-order batter brought up his fifty off 19 balls, which was the third time in IPL history he had reached the landmark in fewer than 20 balls.

Abhishek had motored to 87 at the halfway point, with SRH well ahead of the required rate. He got to his ton off just 40 balls. Yuzvendra Chahal’s fourth over was taken for 19 runs as SRH crossed 200. Abhishek couldn’t quite close the chase, but his whirlwind knock ensured SRH made history.

7. Marcus Stoinis (44* off 16 vs DC)

Marcus Stoinis arrived at the crease on the fifth ball of the 16th over. Punjab Kings were 146/5, and making the most of the death overs was crucial. This is exactly what Stoinis ended up doing. He struck 17 runs off a 25-run over by Mukesh Kumar to infuse energy into the PBKS innings.

It was the 19th over in which Mohit Sharma was treated to some exceptional hitting by the Australian batting all-rounder. Two fours and as many sixes, along with a couple of singles, brought PBKS within touching distance of the 200-run mark.

8. Urvil Patel (31 off 11 vs KKR)

Urvil Patel arrived in the middle after Ayush Mhatre had been dismissed on the second ball of the innings. His second ball on debut was a whip towards the deep square leg region for a six. Urvil greeted Moeen Ali to the crease with two sixes sandwiched between a four off the first three deliveries.

The fifth delivery of the third over was a slower ball, which was read expertly by Urvil to smash his fourth maximum of the innings. However, he was dismissed on the very next ball. It was a narrow two-wicket victory for CSK in the end. This win brought an end to their four-match losing streak.

9. Hardik Pandya (42 off 15 vs RCB)

Hardik Pandya came in to bat with his side four down for 99 at the end of the 12th over. He was at the non-striker’s end for seven deliveries on the trot before stepping on the accelerator to race to 20 off his first five deliveries. His third and fourth sixes came off Krunal Pandya’s bowling.

From a virtually unwinnable scenario, Hardik’s electrifying assault brought MI to the cusp of victory, with 28 required off 12 balls. However, the MI skipper’s innings came to an end on the first delivery of the penultimate over. MI went on to lose the game by 12 runs.

10. Karun Nair (89 off 40 vs MI)

The clash against MI was Karun Nair’s first in the IPL since the 2022 edition. Coming in as DC’s Impact Player, he got off to an absolute flyer within the powerplay. He tore Jasprit Bumrah apart in the last over of the phase by scoring 18 off him.

By the end of the first six overs, Nair had already motored to a fifty off 22 deliveries, his first in the IPL in seven years. He appeared well on course to notch up his maiden IPL ton. However, it took a peach of a delivery by Mitchell Santner to end Nair’s stay at the crease.