They didn’t take the shortcut but fought through the Eliminator, toppled the table-toppers, and outlasted the giants to lift their maiden IPL crown
The IPL playoffs aren’t for the faint-hearted. They test nerves, mistakes can be costly, and reputations either flourish or falter. Four teams enter the knockout stage, but only one can lift the trophy. For those finishing in the top two, there’s some room for error—a second bite at the cherry in Qualifier 2. However, for teams in the Eliminator, it’s sudden death from the very start. Win or go home.
And winning from that point? Well, that’s like climbing a mountain backwards. Only one team in the history of the Indian Premier League has managed to win the title after starting from the Eliminator. No prizes for guessing—it was the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016, and what a thrilling run that was.
The 2016 Sunrisers Hyderabad campaign wasn’t built on swagger. It was built on grit. With David Warner leading from the front, they managed to squeeze into third place in the league stage—edging out teams like the Kolkata Knight Riders on net run rate. That meant one thing: there was no safety net. One loss, and it was all over.
The first hurdle? The Kolkata Knight Riders. On 25th May 2016 in Delhi, SRH posted a modest 162/8. With no room for slip-ups, they came out all guns blazing with the ball. Moises Henriques stepped up with both bat and ball, scoring 31 off 21 and then tightening the screws with a miserly 2/17. Kolkata fell short by 22 runs. SRH were still alive.
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Two days later, Qualifier 2 was held at the same venue. The Gujarat Lions, led by Suresh Raina and a spirited bowling attack, set a target of 163. It was a tricky chase, and the pressure was sky-high. But Warner was not ready to back down.
He batted like a man possessed—anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 93 off 58 balls. With four balls to spare, SRH chased down the target and advanced to their first-ever IPL final. The job was not yet done, but the belief was now unstoppable.
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29th May 2016. M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The big dance. And what a final it was. Standing in their way was the Royal Challengers Bangalore—armed with Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, and the weight of expectations.
Sunrisers batted first and unleashed their fury. With Ben Cutting smashing a stunning 39* off 15 balls, a commanding total of 208/7 provided their bowlers with something to work with. Despite a ferocious opening stand by RCB, SRH clawed their way back. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mustafizur Rahman bowled with their hearts on their sleeves. When the dust settled, RCB had fallen short by just 8 runs.
Three matches. Three wins. No safety net. Just guts, momentum, and the belief that no path was too steep.
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That magical 2016 run remains unmatched. No team since has managed to lift the IPL trophy after playing in the Eliminator. The closest? Chennai Super Kings in 2012, who won the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, only to stumble in the final against Kolkata Knight Riders.
In 2021, KKR attempted to recreate SRH’s script. They battled through to the final from the Eliminator but faltered at the final hurdle against Chennai. This illustrates just how difficult this route is—requiring both form and fire.
