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 in 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 top five lowest scores defended in the IPL:
5) 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, including 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.
4) Kings XI Punjab (119/8) vs Mumbai Indians | IPL 2009
KXIP’s batters battled to bat quickly 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.
3) 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.
Also Read | Top 5 bowlers with most wickets in an IPL season
2) 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.
Also Read | Highest Successful Run chases in IPL history
1) Punjab Kings (111) vs Kolkata Knight Riders | IPL 2025
During the IPL 2025 match at Mullanpur, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders were involved in a stunning match. After the hosts Punjab Kings chose to bat first, they were bowled out for 111 runs. Only the PBKS openers Prabhsimran Singh (30) and Priyansh Arya (22) reached the 20-run mark in that innings, while Harshit Rana bagged three wickets (3/25), and the spinners Varun Chakravarthy (2/21) and Sunil Narine (2/14) got two wickets each.
At chasing, although KKR lost both their openers for only seven runs on the board, the defending champions were moving smoothly with 62/2. But once that wicket fell, KKR's batting collapsed and they were bundled out for only 95 runs, as Punjab Kings snatched a 16-run win to record the lowest defending total in IPL history. Yuzvendra Chahal was the hero for Punjab Kings, as he recorded a four-wicket haul with the bowling figures of 4-0-28-4. Also, Marco Jansen scalped three wickets (3/17).
Lowest successful defended total in IPL history (excluding any shortened game)
Team |
Defended
Total |
Opposition |
Venue |
Year |
Punjab
Kings |
111 |
Kolkata
Knight Riders |
Mullanpur |
2025 |
Chennai
Super Kings |
116/9 |
Kings XI
Punjab |
Durban |
2009 |
SunRisers
Hyderabad |
118 |
Mumbai
Indians |
Wankhede |
2018 |
Kings XI
Punjab |
119/8 |
Mumbai
Indians |
Durban |
2009 |
SunRisers
Hyderabad |
119/8 |
Pune
Warriors India |
Pune |
2013 |