Low Scores Defended In IPL.The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the top cricket leagues in the world. It brings together the best bowlers from different countries. That’s why, even with a small target, these bowlers fight hard and never give up. In the IPL, the impossible often becomes possible, with teams successfully defending very low scores. This has happened many times in IPL history. This article highlights some of the lowest scores ever defended in the tournament.
Here are the lowest scores successfully defended in IPL history.
10. Chennai Super Kings Vs Kings XI Punjab – 116
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) hold the record for defending the lowest score in IPL history. On May 20, 2009, they scored only 116 runs against Kings XI Punjab, and it seemed like Punjab would win easily. However, CSK’s bowlers—Thilan Thushara, Muthiah Muralidaran, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Suresh Raina—each took two wickets and stopped Punjab at just 92 runs. CSK won the match by 24 runs.
9. Sunrisers Hyderabad Vs Mumbai Indians – 118
On April 24, 2018, Sunrisers Hyderabad scored only 119 runs against Mumbai Indians in the IPL. It looked like an easy target for MI, but things didn’t go as expected. Siddarth Kaul took three wickets, while Rashid Khan and Basil Thampi got two each. Sandeep Sharma, Mohammad Nabi, and Shakib Al Hasan took one wicket each. MI was bowled out for just 87 runs, and SRH won the match by a big margin of 31 runs.
8. Kings XI Punjab Vs Mumbai Indians – 119
On 29th April 2009, Kings XI Punjab defended one of the lowest scores in IPL history against Mumbai Indians. KXIP scored only 119 runs, and it seemed like MI would win easily. But KXIP bowlers did an amazing job. Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Abdulla took two wickets each, while Vikramjeet Malik, Ramesh Powar, and Piyush Chawla got one wicket each. They stopped MI at 116 runs in 20 overs, winning the match by just 3 runs.
Also Read: Top 10 Greatest Spinners In Cricket History
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad Vs Pune Warriors India – 119
On 17th April 2013, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) played against Pune Warriors India (PWI) in the IPL. SRH scored 119 runs, but their bowlers performed brilliantly. Amit Mishra took 4 wickets, Thisara Perera took 3, and Karn Sharma, Dale Steyn, and Ishant Sharma took 1 each. They bowled out PWI for just 108 runs and won the match by 11 runs.
6. Mumbai Indians Vs Pune Warriors India – 120
On May 3, 2012, Mumbai Indians set one of the lowest totals in IPL history against Pune Warriors India. They scored just 121 runs, a small target for PWI to chase. MI successfully defended it with two wickets each from Lasith Malinga and Harbhajan Singh, and one wicket each from Munaf Patel and Pragyan Ojha. PWI played very slowly, and by the last two balls, they needed eight runs to win. They could only score six, and MI won by just one run.
5. Punjab Kings Vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – 125
In the match between Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad on 25th September 2021, a surprising turn of events happened. PBKS scored only 125 runs in 20 overs, setting a low target for SRH. But PBKS bowlers Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, and Arshdeep Singh bowled well, taking three, two, and one wicket each. They managed to limit SRH to just 120 runs in 20 overs, winning by 5 runs.
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs Chennai Super Kings – 126
On May 21, 2008, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) made an amazing comeback against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). RCB set a target of just 127 for CSK. Thanks to excellent bowling from Anil Kumble, Dale Steyn, Praveen Kumar, and Vinay Kumar, who took three, two, one, and one wickets, RCB kept CSK to only 112 runs in 20 overs. RCB won the match by 14 runs.
3. Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Pune Warriors India – 126
On 5th April 2013, Sunrisers Hyderabad played against Pune Warriors India in the IPL. SRH scored only 126 runs in 20 overs, and many thought PWI would easily chase the target. But things turned out differently. SRH’s bowlers did a great job. Dale Steyn and Amit Mishra took three wickets each, while Thisara Perera and Ashish Reddy took two and one wicket, respectively. They bowled PWI out for just 104 runs and won the match by 22 runs.
2. Kings XI Punjab Vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – 126
In a match between Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad, KXIP made only 126 runs in 20 overs, setting a small target for SRH. However, great bowling from Chris Jordan and Arshdeep Singh, each taking three wickets, plus one wicket each from Mohammed Shami, Murugan Ashwin, and Ravi Bishnoi, helped bowl out SRH for just 114 runs. KXIP won by 12 runs in one of the best comebacks in IPL history.
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs Lucknow Super Giants – 126
On May 1, 2023, Royal Challengers Bangalore scored only 126 runs in their match against Lucknow Super Giants. It seemed like LSG would easily win, but RCB fought back. Josh Hazelwood and Karn Sharma took two wickets each, while Mohammed Siraj, Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Harshal Patel took one each. RCB bowled out LSG for just 108 runs and won by 18 runs.
Also Read: 5 Shocking Player Prices In IPL 2025 Auction