From impressive chases to match-winning knocks under pressure, various performances have left a mark in the IPL history. In this blog, we will be taking a look at the top five IPL knockout innings, where players defied the odds to let their team come out on top.
In the 2012 edition of the Indian Premier League, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders faced each other in the finals. Chennai won the toss and chose to bat first in the final clash. With an impressive 87 runs stand for the first wicket, Chennai Super Kings had a great start before Vijay got out at the score of 42 runs in 32 balls. Suresh Raina (73 off 38) and Michael Hussey (54 off 43) helped Chennai Super Kings to reach a massive total of 190 runs for the loss of three wickets.
Chasing this target, Gautam Gambhir, the skipper of KKR lost his wicket early by getting out at the score of 2 runs in 4 balls. Manvinder Bisla took the command in his hands and showcased some impressive batting performances. He scored 89 runs in just 48 balls with 8 fours and 5 sixes before he lost his wicket to Albie Morkel. With the early wicket of Gambhir falling down, the pressure on KKR was high, but Bisla was able to handle it well, along with Jacques Kallis, who also scored 69 runs off 49 balls. Kolkata Knight Riders ended up winning the final clash by 5 wickets, and Manvinder Bisla received the Man of the Match Award for his brilliant innings.
During the IPL 2018 season, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad faced each other in the finals. Chennai Super Kings just returned from the two-year ban they faced in the IPL, but the team still managed to reach the finals. This time, CSK also won the toss and decided to field first in the finals. Sunrisers Hyderabad came out to bat, but none of their batters got the chance to settle, restricting the team to the score of 178 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. Kane Williamson scored 47 runs off 36 balls, and Yusuf Pathan scored 45 runs off 25 balls for SRH.
Stepping out to chase, Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis opened the innings for Chennai Super Kings. Faf lost his wicket early to Sandeep Sharma, and Suresh Raina was also dismissed at the score of 32 runs off 24 balls. However, Shane Watson showcased his impressive batting style, which also helped him take revenge against SRH for the 2016 final loss when he was a part of RCB. As a result, he scored 117 runs off 57 balls, with 11 fours and 8 sixes. Chennai Super Kings won the finals by 8 wickets, and Watson was the Man of the Match.
Not all heroic clashes come in the IPL finals, as some can also be seen in the Eliminator games. During the IPL 2022 season, Royal Challengers Bangalore went against Lucknow Supergiants in the Eliminator clash at the Eden Gardens. Lucknow won the toss in this match and decided to field first, allowing RCB to bat. But the batting order struggled to perform well, as Faf du Plessis got out for a golden duck, while Virat Kohli was dismissed at the score of 25 runs off 24 balls. Coming in at number 3, Rajat Patidar was able to dominate the game for RCB, as he scored 112 runs off 54 balls with 12 fours and 7 sixes. Dinesh Karthik also scored 37 runs off 23 balls, which helped RCB to score 207 runs at the loss of 4 wickets.
Chasing the target, Lucknow Supergiants also lost early wickets with Quinton de Kock at the score of 6 runs off t balls and Manan Vohra scoring 19 runs off 11 balls. KL Rahul performed well for the team scoring 79 runs off 58 balls, as Deepak Hooda accompanied him with a score of 45 runs off 26 balls. However, Hazlewood was able to dominate the remaining game for RCB, taking 3 crucial wickets. As a result, Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 14 runs and advanced to the second qualifier. Rajat Patidar was awarded with the Man of the Match for his impressive century.
The IPL 2014 final match was played between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab. Kolkata won the toss and elected to field first in the intense final clash. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as Kolkata expected, as their bowlers failed to take wickets. They had a great start, putting Punjab at the score of 30-2 in 5.1 overs by dismissing Virender Sehwag at the score of 7 off 10 balls and George Bailey at the score of 1 off 2 balls. Wriddhiman Saha was the key performer for Punjab, scoring 115 runs off 55 balls, which allowed them to score 199 runs for the loss of 4 wickets.
Coming out to chase, Kolkata Knight Riders also lost early wickets, as Robin Uthappa (5 runs off 3 balls) and Gautam Gambhir (23 runs off 17 balls) were dismissed early. Manish Pandey stepped out at number three and scored 94 runs off 50 balls, with 7 fours and 6 sixes, but lost his wicket to Karanveer Singh. Yusuf Pathan also played an important role in the game, scoring 36 runs off 22 balls, as Piyush Chawla and Sunil Narine were able to finish the game for KKR. Kolkata won its second IPL title by 3 wickets, and Manish Pandey received the Man of the Match award.
During the 2011 finals of the Indian Premier League, fans saw a thriller between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings, as the game was played at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium. CSK won the toss in this game and elected to bat first in the finals. Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay started off well, as the team set off an opening stand of 159 runs before Hussey lost his wicket after scoring 63 runs off 45 balls. Murali Vijay was the top run scorer for the team in this game, as he scored 95 runs off 52 balls, with 4 fours and 6 sixes, before losing his wicket to Sreenath Aravind. Chennai Super Kings set a massive total of 205 runs for the loss of 5 wickets.
Coming out to chase the mammoth target, RCB failed miserably, as the team lost quick wickets. Virat Kohli, scoring 35 runs off 32 balls, and Saurabh Tiwary, scoring 42 runs off 34 balls were the top scorers for Bangalore, as the team finished at only 147 runs for the loss of 8 wickets, losing the finals by 58 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed 3 wickets, dismissing players like Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, and Daniel Vettori. Chennai Super Kings won the IPL title and Murali Vijay was the Man of the Match for his impressive 95 runs in the finals.
With these unpredictable and impressive innings coming out in the IPL knockouts, players have helped their teams to win the IPL titles multiple times, while some even helped their teams to reach the further stages of the tournament. As the tournament progresses in every season, it is expected that the fans will see more such innings in the IPL knockouts, considering the smashing style of batters in the current seasons.