IPL, being the most fantastic T20 league, is known for quick-fire batting and high-scoring matches. The scores over 180 have been chased with ease on numerous events in the IPL. With that being said, it’s very uncommon when a team scores a below-par total and still manages to sneak a win. Returning to such low-scoring experiences, here are the five lowest scores effectively guarded in the IPL:
5) Mumbai Indians (120/9) vs Pune Warriors India | IPL 2012
Openers Sachin Tendulkar and James Franklin struck a moderate however relentless 50-run partnership, but the line-up misplaced its way after their dismissals. The middle-order couldn’t discover boundaries, while the lower-order battled to put the bat on the ball. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ashish Nehra rushed two wickets each, though four MI batters were dismissed by ideals of run-outs as they scored 120/9.
Chasing a little target of 121, the Pune Warriors India top-order played exceptionally slow to construct weight upon themselves. In spite of a brave exertion by Mithun Manhas, the rest of the batters battled for Pune, and the group was restricted to 119/6 as they suffered a one-run defeat.
4) Sunrisers Hyderabad (119/8) vs Pune Warriors India | IPL 2013
Batting to begin with, SRH battled to score rapidly, with only Biplab Samantray and Amit Mishra going past the 30-run stamp. 19*(15) by no.9 batsman Ashish Reddy made a difference in them to reach 119/8 in the allotted 20 overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar began with the ball for PWI, picking up three wickets.
Chasing 120 was assumed to be a cakewalk for Pune, but the SRH bowling attack had other plans. Kushal Perera picked up three wickets, counting both the openers, while Amit Mishra picked up four wickets, counting a hat-trick to clear the tail. PWI were bundled out for 108 as the Sunrisers pulled off a popular triumph by 11 runs.
3) Kings XI Punjab (119/8) vs Mumbai Indians | IPL 2009
KXIP’s batters battled to bat quick that day as they could only gather 119/8 playing full 20 overs. Kumar Sangakkara held one end up with a gritty 45*; otherwise, things could’ve compounded even more for Punjab. Lasith Malinga was the pick of the bowlers for MI with 2/12 in 4 overs.
Mumbai began on an awful note, with the top three overseeing to score only four runs collectively. Coming in at no.4, JP Duminy scored a 59 (63). Two wickets each for Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Abdulla helped Punjab grab the triumph by three runs.
2) Sunrisers Hyderabad (118) vs Mumbai Indians | IPL 2018
Mayank Markande, Mitchell McClenaghan, and Hardik Pandya dismissed two batters each as SRH went on to lose all its wickets for a paltry total of 118. Captain Kane Williamson and Yusuf Pathan top-scored with 29 runs each.
Defending a below-par total, SRH bowlers bowled their hearts out as Mumbai got bundled out for 87. Opener Suryakumar Yadav (34) and no.5 batter Krunal Pandya (24) were the only two batters to score in twofold digits for MI. Whereas each bowler bowled well, Siddarth Kaul was the best with three wickets.
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1) Chennai Super Kings (116/9) vs Kings XI Punjab | IPL 2009
In spite of a decent beginning from the top order, CSK’s middle and lower order surrendered to the KXIP bowlers. Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan took two wickets each to confine Chennai to a little total of 116/9 in 20 overs.
In the second innings, CSK’s awful batting execution was compensated by their bowlers. Punjab’s batters had no answers to CSK’s tight bowling as four different bowlers picked up two wickets each. Luke Pomersbach (26) and Irfan Pathan (14) were the only two KXIP batters to score in double digits as CSK won the game by 24 runs after restricting KXIP to 92/8.
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