In the long history of the Indian Premier League, big scores usually win matches. Teams often chase totals close to 200 without much trouble, including some of the highest successful run chases in IPL history. That is why matches where a team defends a very low score are so memorable. They feel impossible at first, and that is what makes them special.
One of the most shocking moments came on April 15, 2025. At the new stadium in Chandigarh, the Punjab Kings were in serious trouble. They were bowled out for 111 in just 15.3 overs. It looked like the match was finished. The Kolkata Knight Riders started the chase well and reached 60 for 2 after seven overs. Only 51 runs were needed with eight wickets still left. Most fans believed the result was already decided.
Then Yuzvendra Chahal stepped in and changed everything.
What followed became one of the most dramatic comebacks in IPL history. The bowlers turned the match around and defended the total. It became the lowest score ever defended in the IPL, a stunning 16-run victory that nobody saw coming. The match showed why T20 cricket can flip in a few overs.
Low-score defenses like this are extremely rare in the IPL. In a league where teams regularly cross 200 runs, defending anything below 130 needs everything to go right. The pitch has to help the bowlers. The bowlers need to stay accurate and attack together. Since the league started in 2008, only 13 teams have managed to defend totals under 130.
What Does It Mean to Defend a Low Score in IPL
Defending a low score simply means a team bats first, puts up a small total, and still manages to stop the other team from chasing it. In a league where teams regularly score close to 200 runs, a small total normally feels easy to chase. When a bowling side still wins from that position, it stands out.
The idea of what counts as a “low score” has changed over time. In the early years of the IPL, between 2008 and 2012, the average first-innings score was around 155 to 165, so anything below 140 felt low. In the middle years from 2013 to 2017, the average moved to 165 to 175, and totals below 150 were seen as risky.
The game has changed even more in recent seasons. In the modern Impact Player era, especially from 2023 to 2025, first-innings scores usually sit around 180 to 190. In IPL 2025, the average first-innings total was around 184, and the run rate crossed 9.5 runs per over. Because of this, even 160 now looks vulnerable, and anything below 150 is clearly a low score.
Big scores have also pushed the limits of what teams believe is possible. In 2024, the Sunrisers Hyderabad scored 287 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Because of these high-scoring conditions, defending a low total has become very rare. Teams have managed to defend totals below 130 only 13 times. That means it happens less than once per season.
Why Low Score Defenses Are So Rare in T20 Cricket
Defending a small total is one of the toughest things a team can try to do. T20 cricket is built for batting. Grounds are smaller, bats are powerful, and teams attack from the first ball. Because of that, when a team manages to defend a very low score, it becomes a rare moment.
- The numbers explain how rare it really is. In more than 18 seasons and over 1,000 matches of the IPL, a team has defended a score below 130 only 13 times. Even more shocking, totals below 120 have been defended only five times in the entire history of the league. The lowest total ever defended came in 2025, when the Punjab Kings protected 111 against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
- One big reason for this is how scoring has changed in recent years. During the Impact Player era from 2023 to 2025, teams score much faster. The average first-innings total now sits around 180 to 190. And scores above 250 are no longer shocking. In an environment like this, even 150 can look unsafe.
- Chasing big targets has also become normal. Since 2019, teams have successfully chased 180 or more at least 45 times. The Rajasthan Royals have been especially good at this, completing 11 successful chases above 180 in that time. Even totals above 200 are not safe anymore.
- Another reason low-score defenses are rare is the Impact Player rule. This rule allows teams to add an extra batter or bowler during the match. Even if a few early wickets fall, there are still strong hitters left to finish the chase. That makes the big collapses needed to defend a small total much harder to create.
The Complete List of Lowest Scores Defended in IPL History from 2008 to 2025
In the history of the Indian Premier League, big scores usually decide matches. But sometimes a team posts a small total and still wins. Those games become famous because they show how quickly T20 cricket can turn. From 2008 to 2025, only a handful of teams have defended totals below 130. And many of those matches are still remembered today.
The entire IPL moved to South Africa in 2009 because of elections in India. On April 20, the Kings XI Punjab scored 119/8 against the Mumbai Indians at Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban. Irfan Pathan made 45 not out, giving Punjab something to defend. Mumbai seemed steady with JP Duminy scoring 59, but the run rate climbed. In the final over they needed six, but managed only two, and Punjab won by 3 runs.
Later that season, on May 20, the Chennai Super Kings defended just 116/9 against Kings XI Punjab at the same Durban venue. For years this was the lowest total defended in IPL history. Muttiah Muralitharan took 2/8 and Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed 2/17. Punjab were bowled out for 92, giving Chennai a 24-run win.
On April 17, the Sunrisers Hyderabad defended 119/8 at Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium in Pune. Amit Mishra played a big role by scoring 30 off 24 and then taking 4/19. Bhuvneshwar Kumar added 3/18, and Pune were bowled out for 108.
On April 24, 2018, Sunrisers Hyderabad produced one of the boldest defenses in IPL history. They were bowled out for 118 against the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium, a ground known for big chases. For SRH, Rashid Khan delivered a tight spell of 2/11, while Siddarth Kaul took 3/23. Mumbai were bowled out for 87, giving Hyderabad a 31-run win.
The most famous moment came on April 15, 2025. At Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in Mullanpur, the Punjab Kings were bowled out for just 111 against the Kolkata Knight Riders. The chase looked easy when KKR reached 60/2 in the powerplay.
Yuzvendra Chahal produced a stunning spell of 4/28, one of the best bowling figures in IPL history, and Marco Jansen added 3/17. Kolkata collapsed from 60/2 to 95 all out, and they lost by 16 runs. A missed review by Ajinkya Rahane during the chase became one of the key turning points.
| Year | Team | Score | Opposition | Margin |
| 2025 | PBKS | 111 | KKR | 16 runs |
| 2009 | CSK | 116/9 | KXIP | 24 runs |
| 2018 | SRH | 118 | MI | 31 runs |
| 2009 | KXIP | 119/8 | MI | 3 runs |
| 2013 | SRH | 119/8 | PWI | 11 runs |
| 2012 | MI | 120/9 | PWI | 1 run |
| 2021 | PBKS | 125/7 | SRH | 5 runs |
| 2008 | RCB | 126/8 | CSK | 14 runs |
| 2013 | SRH | 126/6 | PWI | 22 runs |
| 2020 | KXIP | 126/7 | SRH | 12 runs |
| 2023 | RCB | 126/9 | LSG | 18 runs |
| 2008 | KKR | 129/7 | RCB | 5 runs |
| 2011 | DC | 129/7 | KTK | 55 runs |
The Historic PBKS vs KKR 2025 Match That Broke Every Record
On April 15, 2025, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in New Chandigarh, cricket witnessed the impossible. Punjab Kings, bowled out for just 111, pulled off the lowest total defended in IPL history against Kolkata Knight Riders. It became an instant legend.
PBKS’s innings started well, reaching 39/0 in the first three overs. Then the top order collapsed. Harshit Rana got Priyansh Arya caught after conceding a six, and Ramandeep Singh ran out Shreyas Iyer for a duck. By the end of the powerplay, PBKS were 54/4, and wickets kept tumbling. Josh Inglis and Glenn Maxwell fell cheaply, leaving the team at 80/6 by the 10th over. Sunil Narine struck again, and by the 11th over PBKS were 86/8. Shashank Singh and Xavier Bartlett added 23 late runs, but the innings ended at 111 all out in 15.3 overs.
For KKR, Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi added 55 runs for the third wicket, and by the eighth over, KKR were 62/2, needing just 50 more runs with eight wickets in hand. Then Yuzvendra Chahal entered the attack and turned everything upside down.
Chahal removed Rahane LBW (missed review), Raghuvanshi caught at backward point, and Glenn Maxwell LBW. By the 12th over, two wickets in two balls sent KKR spiraling from 62/2 to 79/8. Marco Jansen added three more, and Andre Russell tried to fight back with two sixes and a four, but it wasn’t enough. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Vaibhav Arora, and in the 16th over, Jansen’s wide delivery bowled Russell, sealing a 16-run PBKS win.
Chahal finished with 4/28 and 14 dot balls, while Jansen took 3/17. Ricky Ponting called it “the best win I have ever had in the IPL”, and co-owner Preity Zinta was moved to tears. Captain Shreyas Iyer beat his former team in poetic fashion, while the match itself rewrote the record books.
How Yuzvendra Chahal Turned an Unwinnable Game on Its Head
On April 15, 2025, Yuzvendra Chahal turned a near-certain defeat into an impossible victory for Punjab Kings. Coming on in the 7th over with KKR cruising at 62/2, Chahal delivered 4 overs, 28 runs, 4 wickets, and 14 dot balls.
His first major breakthrough came with Ajinkya Rahane, trapped LBW attempting a sweep. Rahane didn’t review, even though the ball was outside off stump. Next, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, set at 37 off 28, edged to backward point, leaving KKR at 72/4.
Then came the 12th over – the turning point. Rinku Singh was stumped, fooled by Chahal’s flight and drift. Ramandeep Singh top-edged a scoop straight to leg slip. In just two balls, KKR fell from 62/2 to 79/8. The collapse continued, leaving Andre Russell as the last hope, but even he couldn’t recover the chase.
Chahal used drift, dip, and pace variation, a skill often seen among the fastest bowlers in IPL, attacking relentlessly because 111 runs needed bold bowling. Simon Doull called it a masterclass: “He floats it up, drifts, and Rinku is drawn into it. Too good a bowler to go without a match-turning spell.”
The context made it even more incredible. Chahal had struggled earlier in IPL 2025, taking just 4 wickets in 6 matches at an economy of 10.35 and nursing a shoulder injury. Ricky Ponting’s trust in him paid off with a historic performance.
CSK’s 116 vs KXIP in 2009 The Original Low Score Defense That Started It All
On May 20, 2009, at Kingsmead, Durban, Chennai Super Kings pulled off one of the most iconic low-score defenses in IPL history. They were all out for just 116/9 against Kings XI Punjab but managed to win by 24 runs, proving that even tiny totals could be defended with the right strategy.
CSK started strong at 35/0 thanks to Parthiv Patel (32) and George Bailey (15). But the wickets started falling; Bailey ran out, Patel bowled, Dhoni bowled, and by the 20th over they were 116/9. The last five overs gave only 20 runs, showing how fragile their innings had become.
The magic came from bowling. Muttiah Muralitharan opened early, a rare move, and took 2/8 in 4 overs, tying down Punjab’s top batters. R Ashwin and Suresh Raina joined him, sharing another 4 wickets, and Thilan Thushara chipped in. The trio of spinners strangled Punjab, who never got a proper partnership going.
Punjab kept losing wickets at key moments – 6 down by the 15th over, 8 down at the end and finished at 92/8, 24 runs short. Yuvraj Singh admitted it was a tough track, but the plan from CSK was flawless. This defense of 116/9 stood as the IPL’s lowest defended total for 16 years, until Punjab Kings broke it in 2025 by defending 111 against KKR.
Why Murali’s Spin on an Overseas Pitch Was Practically Unplayable
In the 2009 IPL, Muttiah Muralitharan’s spell of 4-1-8-2 against Kings XI Punjab was more than just two wickets. The match was in Durban, South Africa, where the pitch at Kingsmead was unusual for T20 cricket. Unlike typical fast-friendly South African tracks, it was slow and two-paced, giving spinners a rare advantage. Balls could skid low or sit up unpredictably, making timing very difficult.
Murali used this perfectly. He bowled 4 overs, gave just 8 runs, and took 2 wickets. His deliveries had sharp turn, subtle drift, and clever variation, which forced batters to misread almost every ball. Simon Katich was bowled around his legs, and Luke Pomersbach edged to slip.
MS Dhoni brought him on inside the Powerplay, a bold move since spinners usually bowl later. On that Durban track, it worked like magic. The spinners dominated, and the unfamiliar conditions for Indian batters made Murali practically impossible to handle. That 4-over spell became a key reason CSK defended just 116/9 and pulled off one of the most memorable low-score wins in IPL history.
SRH’s 118 vs MI in 2018 Rashid Khan and the Wankhede Heist
On April 24, 2018, at Wankhede Stadium, Sunrisers Hyderabad pulled off one of the most shocking wins in IPL history. The crowd had started the night celebrating Sachin Tendulkar’s birthday, but by the end, Mumbai Indians were bowled out for just 87, chasing a tiny 118.
Mitchell McClenaghan removed Shikhar Dhawan and Wriddhiman Saha early. Kane Williamson tried to hold one end with 29 runs, Yusuf Pathan chipped in, but wickets kept falling. By 18.4 overs, SRH finished at 118 all out, the lowest total of IPL 2018.
The real story was the bowling. Rashid Khan took 2/11, including the key wickets of Krunal Pandya and Kieron Pollard, applying pressure with his flight and spin. Siddarth Kaul picked 3/23, Basil Thampi 2/4, Sandeep Sharma 1/9, Mohammad Nabi 1/23, and Shakib Al Hasan 1/16.
Mumbai seemed on course at 61/3, needing just 57 from 54 balls with seven wickets in hand. Then the SRH bowlers struck. The last seven wickets fell for just 26 runs. Rashid’s spin, close-in fielders, and tight overs created panic. Kaul and Thampi cleaned up the tail.
The win was praised as a tactical masterpiece. Rashid admitted he had relaxed and trusted his skills, while Kane Williamson highlighted the team’s bowling effort. Rohit Sharma acknowledged Mumbai’s failure under pressure.
This match remains famous because it was the lowest total defended in IPL 2018, the second-lowest in IPL history at that time, and showed how disciplined bowling and spin could make even 118 a winning total.
What All Successful Low Score Defences in IPL Have in Common
Looking at every successful IPL defense of totals under 130 – certain things always show up. These wins weren’t just lucky; they followed clear patterns.
First, great spin bowling in the middle overs was very important. Murali in 2009, Rashid in 2018, Amit Mishra in 2013, and Chahal in 2025. They alll bowled spells that took key wickets and built pressure. Batters often faced dot balls for long periods and made mistakes.
Second, the pitches helped the bowlers. Durban in 2009 and Mullanpur in 2025 gave turn and bounce that troubled batters. Even Wankhede in 2018 had enough grip for Rashid’s leg-spin. Without these surfaces, low totals would have been easy to chase.
Third, early wickets made a big difference. Here removing openers in the first few overs exposed the middle order, which often struggled under pressure. Examples include KKR at 7/2 in 2025 and CSK’s early strikes in 2009. And also MI at 17/1 in 2018.
Finally, captaincy and fielding helped a lot. Shreyas Iyer, Dhoni, and Kane Williamson trusted their bowlers, set attacking fields, and backed spinners from the start. Fielders caught every ball, made run-outs, and did not allow mistakes.
The Role of Pitch and Venue in Every Record Defence
In the biggest low-score defenses, the pitch and venue often helped as much as the bowlers. CSK’s 116 in Durban 2009, SRH’s 118 at Wankhede in 2018, and PBKS’s 111 in Mullanpur 2025. All had surfaces that made chasing very hard, even for strong batting teams.
Durban 2009 was perfect for spinners. The Kingsmead pitch had sharp turn and variable bounce. It helped Murali, Raina, and Ashwin take wickets cheaply. Balls that looked easy to drive either gripped and turned or kept low, making strokeplay risky.
Wankhede is normally a batter-friendly stadium, but on April 24, 2018, the pitch gave Rashid Khan just enough grip to dominate. Combined with Kaul and Thampi hitting hard lengths, even Mumbai’s top stars folded for 87.
Mullanpur 2025 has slower bounce and big boundaries. It helps medium-pace and spin bowlers. Chahal used flight and drift and Jansen exploited the pace-friendly surface. Meanwhile, Arshdeep finished with precise death bowling to defend 111 against KKR.
Across all these games, the key was reading the pitch. These surfaces limited power hitting and forced batters into mistakes. And let disciplined bowling and fielding turn small totals into match-winning defenses.
The Lowest Score Ever Defended in an IPL Final
The lowest total ever defended in an IPL final belongs to Mumbai Indians in 2017. They posted just 129/8 against Rising Pune Supergiant at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad. Krunal Pandya scored 47, but the real heroes were bowlers. Bumrah (2/26), Johnson (3/26), and Malinga (0/21). Their tight bowling in the death overs kept Pune under pressure. The game went to the final ball, with Johnson running out Dan Christian, giving MI a one-run win.
By contrast, the 2024 final saw Sunrisers Hyderabad score only 113 against KKR at Chepauk, but that total was chased comfortably in just over 10 overs.
| Team | Score | Opposition | Year | Result (Defended / Not Defended) |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 113 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2024 | Not Defended (KKR chased in 10.3 overs) |
| Mumbai Indians | 129/8 | Rising Pune Supergiant | 2017 | DEFENDED (1-run win) |
| Rajasthan Royals | 130/9 | Gujarat Titans | 2022 | Not Defended (GT won by 7 wickets) |
| Deccan Chargers | 143/6 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 2009 | Defended (6-run win) |
| Mumbai Indians | 148/9 | Chennai Super Kings | 2013 | Defended (23-run win) |
SWOT Analysis of Teams That Have Defended Low Scores in IPL
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Strong spin bowling (CSK, SRH, PBKS) performs well on helpful pitchesExperienced captains (Dhoni, Williamson, Iyer) make smart decisionsDeath-over specialists (Bumrah, Kaul, Arshdeep) defend totals effectivelyDisciplined bowling in partnerships, attack as a team | Batting order can be fragile, putting pressure on bowlersTop order inconsistent, relying on 1-2 battersToo much dependence on overseas stars who may not playSometimes rely on low-score games, which may not last |
| Opportunities | Threats |
| Strong bowling cores remain in IPL 2026 (PBKS, SRH, CSK)Spin-friendly home venues (Chepauk, Mullanpur) help slower bowlersExperienced captains know low-score defense tacticsUsing data analytics to plan for low-score scenarios | Flat, high-scoring pitches reduce defensive advantageImpact Player rule lets teams bat deep, making collapses rareModern power-hitting makes defending harderRule changes (field limits, boundaries, bouncers) favor batters |
Final Words
Looking at these five amazing low-score defenses in IPL history, we can say that they were not luck. The wins came from smart bowling, helpful pitches, and brave captaincy. Every team used the same plan. Take early wickets, have spinners or fast bowlers fire, and lead fearlessly.
With IPL 2026 coming, the big question is which team can do it again. Punjab Kings have Chahal and Arshdeep and CSK can use spin at Chepauk, one of the most spin-friendly venues in IPL. SRH has Pat Cummins leading the pace, MI has Bumrah, and RCB has Hazlewood and Siraj. Low-score defenses are rare, but with the right conditions and confident bowlers, even 111 can become unbeatable.
Which of these five defenses do you think was the greatest – CSK’s 116, SRH’s 118, MI’s 129 final, or PBKS’s 111 record? The games are about to start, and the next miracle could be just around the corner. Stay ahead of every big moment in cricket, follow Crick Insider for daily insights, record-breaking stories, and expert analysis delivered straight to you, so you never miss what truly matters in the game.
