The Indian Premier League (IPL) has always been considered the batters’ game until the bowlers started to improvise and adapt. As a result, both aspects of this great game currently stand on a level-headed field, with the batters and the bowlers applying themselves to get past each other. That’s why the five most successful chases are special: they have come in an era where the game is perfectly balanced.
As franchises head towards a new IPL season, here’s a look at the top five successful chases.
Five Successful Chases in IPL History
Cricket fans have witnessed some big run chases over the years. Some of these matches have enthralled fans and cricket fans had great fun predicting the match outcome and doubling their excitement in IPL betting.
Many franchises have successfully knocked down 200+ targets. Here’s the list of the top five successful chases in IPL history:
|
Team |
Score |
Overs |
Opposition |
Season |
|
Rajasthan Royals |
226/6 |
19.3 |
Punjab Kings |
2020 |
|
Mumbai Indians |
219/6 |
20 |
Chennai Super Kings |
2021 |
|
Rajasthan Royals |
217/7 |
19.5 |
Delhi Capitals |
2008 |
|
Sunrisers Hyderabad |
217/6 |
19.5 |
Rajasthan Royals |
2023 |
|
Mumbai Indians |
216/4 |
18.5 |
Punjab Kings |
2023 |
RR vs PBKS (IPL 2020):
Rajasthan Royals hunted down a stiff target of 224 against the Punjab Kings at Sharjah. It was a record chase, and the Royals were up to the task as their top order fired in unison.
Punjab Kings had batted first, and thanks to a century from Mayank Agarwal, who would slam 106, they would reach a humongous 223/2 in the allotted 20 overs. He also received tremendous support from skipper KL Rahul, who hit 69 runs.
In reply, RR’s top order fired with the likes of Sanju Samson (85), Steve Smith (50), and Rahul Tewatia (53) all coming to the party. The inaugural champions would win the match with just three balls to spare, creating history.
MI vs CSK (IPL 2021)
In a COVID-affected IPL, which was later suspended, MI and CSK would play the last match of the first half. Meanwhile, Mumbai pulled off a thriller at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, sending their fans struggling with the pandemic into a frenzy.
CSK had batted first and posted a huge 218/4, riding on half-centuries from Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali, and Faf du Plessis. In reply, Mumbai had a great start from openers Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma, but in the end, Kieron Pollard would win the match for the five-time champions with an unbeaten 87 off just 34 balls. The West Indian hammered eight sixes on the way to the match-winning knock.
It was the second-highest run chase ever in IPL history.
RR vs DC (IPL 2008):
Back then, Sunrisers Hyderabad was yet to be formed, and the city of Hyderabad was represented by the Deccan Chargers, who would get such a thrashing from Rajasthan Royals that they never recovered from it throughout the season.
On the Hyderabad pitch, which was full of runs, the Chargers posted a target of 215. Andrew Symons struck 117, which came off just 53 balls. In reply, Rajasthan were powered in the chase by South Africa’s Graeme Smith (71) and India’s Yusuf Pathan (61). Later, Shane Warne, the skipper, would stay unbeaten at 22 as he saw his team home.
RR would win the match off the last ball with just three wickets to spare.
SRH vs RR (IPL 2023):
Sunrisers Hyderabad got their perfect revenge for the 2008 defeat as they chased down a mammoth total against Rajasthan Royals in their backyard. Almost 15 years later!
Playing at their home ground, Rajasthan batted first and posted a challenging 214/2. Jos Buttler (95), Sanju Samson (66*), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (35) shone with the bat for the Royals. It seemed like SRH had no chance, but they proved the critics wrong.
Abhishek Sharma slammed 55 off just 34 balls, and Rahul Tripathi scored 47 off just 29. Both of these assaults came after opener Amolpreet Singh scored a quickfire 33. SRH finished the chase successfully, riding on the cameos from Glenn Phillips (25) and Abdul Samad (17*).
MI vs PBKS (IPL 2023):
Mumbai Indians’ top order came to the party, and all their multi-million dollar investment paid off as they beat the Punjab Kings in Mohali. The hosts, Punjab Kings, had batted first on the pitch, full of runs, with Liam Livingstone smashing 82 and Jitesh Sharma scoring 49. It meant Mumbai had to chase 215.
What happened next was unexpected, as Mumbai were off to a flier despite skipper Rohit Sharma getting out for a duck. Ishan Kishan (75 off 41 balls) and Suryakumar Yadav (66 off 19 balls) brought Mumbai Indians to the cusp of victory, where Tilak Varma and Tim David would seal the deal for the five-time champions with an unbeaten 38-run partnership.
Concluding Thoughts
The IPL is known to produce these kinds of thrillers. But as the years progressed, the chasing capacities of the teams were already increasing. Four of the five above-mentioned successful run chases came after 2020, which captures the trend of teams being confident of chasing down big scores.