As we look forward to the start of the 16th edition of the IPL next year, let’s take a moment to reflect on the greatest moments from the last 15 editions of the tournament. From incredible displays of hitting to nail-biting finishes, here are the 7 greatest IPL matches in history.
Here are our top 7 picks for the most memorable IPL matches of all time.
#1 IPL 2008, Match 1: KKR beat RCB by 140 runs
| Scorecard |
| Kolkata Knight Riders (222-3, 20 overs) |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore (82-10, 15.1 overs) |
On the opening night of the IPL, Brendon McCullum showed us precisely how the tournament would change cricket as commentators had predicted.
In an unbeaten display of 158, with 13 maximums and 10 boundaries, McCullum broke the previous world record for most individual runs in T20 innings. This record was held by Cameron White who amassed an unbeaten 141 in 2006. KKR scored 222 for the loss of 3 wickets and beat RCB by a huge margin of 140 runs. This is because they managed to score 82 runs in 15.1 overs.
#2 IPL 2010, Match 54: CSK beat KXIP by 6 wickets
| Scorecard |
| Chennai Super Kings (195-4, 19.4 overs) |
| Kings XI Punjab (192-3, 20 overs) |
As a specialist ‘finisher’ in T20 cricket, MS Dhoni has earned a reputation for his clutch performances. In 2010, CSK needed to win in order to reach the semi-finals of the IPL. KXIP had scored 192-3 after 20 overs, and CSK was trying to recover from 27-2 after 4 overs. At the time, it seemed a bit difficult for the CSK.
In the final over, CSK needed 16 runs to win and the bowl was in the hands of Irfan Pathan. But Thala did it in the first 4 balls, as he smashed 18 runs from the first 4 deliveries, scoring an unbeaten 54 runs off 29 balls, and ensuring CSK’s entry into the knockout stage.
#3 IPL 2011, Match 70: MI beat KKR by 5 wickets
| Scorecard |
| Mumbai Indians (178-5, 20 overs) |
| Kolkata Knight Riders (175-7, 20 overs) |
The 70th match of IPL 2011 between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders is widely considered one of the most memorable matches in IPL history. While batting first the Knight Riders set a total of 175 runs in 20 overs with a loss of 7 wickets, which the Indians chased down with 5 wickets in hand.
In the final overs of the match, people thought that Mumbai Indians would not be able to win as the team required 40 runs in the last 2.3 overs. However, as James Franklin took charge, he led the team to victory with 4 consecutive boundaries off Lakshmipathy Balaji in the last over.
#4 IPL 2013, Match 31: RCB beat PWI by 130 runs
| Scorecard |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore (263-5, 20 overs) |
| Pune Warriors India (133-9, 20 overs) |
Chris Gayle put on an incredible show, setting new IPL records for the highest individual score, fastest century, and most sixes in an innings. His final score of 175* off just 66 balls and RCB posted the highest team total in the tournament’s history because of Gayle’s mind blowing all-round performance.
He also claimed two wickets, giving 5 runs, ensuring that there was no doubt as to who the player of the match should be. That day, it was an out-of-this-world performance from the self-proclaimed “Universe Boss.”
#5 IPL 2017, Final: MI beat RPS by 1 run
| Scorecard |
| Mumbai Indians (129-8, 20 overs) |
| Rising Pune Supergiant (128-6, 20 overs) |
Rohit Sharma’s team has a history of playing their best when the odds are against them. After slumping to 79-7, it looked like Mumbai’s tournament was over. But Krunal Pandya and Mitchell Johnson’s strong lower-order hitting brought them to a more respectable total of 129 runs after 20 overs.
Facing 7 runs in the last 5 balls, Johnson defended steadfastly, taking back-to-back wickets of Manoj Tiwary and Steve Smith. However, RPS needed 7 to win from 3 balls, and the umpire signaled 1 run as a bye, ruling out the possibility of Johnson’s hat trick. With 6 runs needed from 2 balls remaining, Christian hit the next ball for 2 runs. Now, 4 runs were required from the final ball. Christian and Sundar ran for 2 and Dan got run out on the 3rd. Finally, Mumbai Indians claimed their third IPL trophy.
#6 IPL 2019, Match 19: MI beat SRH by 40 runs
| Scorecard |
| Mumbai Indians (136-7, 20 overs) |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad (96-10, 17.4 overs) |
With the 2019 IPL edition, fans witnessed that runs aren’t always necessary for a thrilling match. It was MI vs SRH. Mumbai Indians had scored 137-7 in 20 overs, and commentators thought that this score wasn’t enough to contain SRH. Joseph, who was only selected because Lasith Malinga had to fly back to Sri Lanka for another game, made his debut in the 4th over of the innings. He took the wicket of David Warner with his very first delivery.
In 3.4 overs, Joseph had a maiden over, took 6 wickets, and only gave 12 runs, which restricted SRH to 96 all out after 17.4 overs. This impressive performance helped him claim the most impressive bowling figures in the history of IPL at 6-12, dethroning Sohail Tanvir’s previous record of 6-14 set in the very first edition of IPL in 2008.
#7 IPL 2020, Match 43: KXIP defeated SRH by 12 runs
| Scorecard |
| King XI Punjab (126-7, 20 overs) |
| Chennai Super Kings (114-10, 19.5 overs) |
In the 43rd match of IPL 2020, Kings XI Punjab pulled off an incredible victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad, all thanks to some amazing bowling by their bowlers.
Chasing a target of 127 runs, SRH got off to a winning start with David Warner and Jonny Bairstow’s 56-run partnership. However, KXIP turned the tables very soon. SRH was brought down from 110/4 to 114/10 with the help of Chris Jordan and Arshdeep Singh, and KXIP won by 12 runs.