Fighting against the odds: Five lowest defended scores in IPL
T20 cricket is a format that involves high scoring and we see a lot of fours and sixes being hit. The same is the case with the Indian Premier League (IPL) where cricket fans enjoy watching the ball sail over the boundary ropes. Now, with a lot of innovation, batsmen have developed new techniques and ways of scoring runs. It has also made the job of teams defending a total more difficult. However, there have been some matches in the IPL where the teams have successfully defended even small totals. In this article, let us take a look at the five lowest totals that were successfully defended in IPL history.
5) 120 by MI vs PWI, 2012
This is among the closest matches held in IPL history in terms of low scoring thrillers. Batting first, the Mumbai Indians could only manage to score 120/9 in the first innings. For the Mumbai outfit, Sachin Tendulkar scored a sedate 34 off 35 deliveries. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ashish Nehra took 2 wickets each to keep the Mumbai batsmen in check.
Chasing this target, the Pune team kept losing wickets at regular intervals and needed to score 15 runs off the last 10 deliveries. Mithun Manhas tried his best with the willow and scored 42* off 34 deliveries. But his knock went in vain, as the Mumbai side won this humdinger of a clash by just 1 run.
4) 119 by SRH vs PWI, 2013
Chasing a target of just 120, the Pune Warriors outfit put up a completely disappointing performance with the bat in this encounter. SRH had scored 119/8 in the first innings, with vital contributions from Biplab Samantray and Ashish Reddy, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 3 wickets with the ball for the Pune outfit. However, the Pune Warriors were bowled out for just 108 and lost the match by 11 runs. Amit Mishra played an important role for the Hyderabad side in the win and picked up 4 wickets, giving away 19 runs.
3) 119 by KXIP vs MI, 2009
The Punjab Kings side won a nail-biting match against the Mumbai Indians in the 2009 edition of the IPL by defending a very small total. They posted a score of 119/8 in their allotted 20 overs, with Kumar Sangakkara scoring a sedate 45. In response to this total, the Mumbai Indians could manage to score just 116/7 and lost the match by 3 runs. JP Duminy scored 59 for Mumbai but took 63 balls for it, and his slow knock ultimately cost his side the match.
2) 118 by SRH vs MI, 2018
This match witnessed one of the most shocking results in IPL history as the Mumbai Indians were dismissed for just 87, pursuing 119 for victory. For SRH, Yusuf Pathan top-scored with a 33 ball 29. The SRH bowling attack consisting of Siddarth Kaul, Rashid Khan, and Basil Thampi performed brilliantly to help their side seal the victory. At one stage, the Mumbai side was cruising with their scorecard reading 61/3 but soon collapsed in the second half of the innings.
1) 116 by CSK vs KXIP, 2009
Currently, CSK holds the record for defending the lowest total in IPL history. They posted a total of 116/9 in 20 overs with Parthiv Patel scoring 32 runs off 23 balls. In response to this modest total, the Punjab side was put under pressure right from the outset. They could score only 92/8 in 20 overs and lost the match by 24 runs. For the CSK outfit, four bowlers picked up 2 wickets each to help them seal a win with ease.
