Published By: Admin

IPL Recap: Highest Team Totals in IPL Finals

In six finals, the IPL has witnessed a target of 200 and above

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has witnessed some of the best finales in the history of T20. And it has been possible only because of the high targets posted by the first team to bat. Given that this season has witnessed some of the highest scoring games in the history of the tournament, we expect the finale to feature a massive target as well. However, the finale is still a week away, and therefore, in the following paragraphs, let us recall some of the highest targets in the IPL finals. 

214

2023 witnessed the highest-ever target set by an IPL finalist. Batting first, the Gujarat Titans (GT) scored 214 runs, losing only four wickets in 20 overs. Sai Sudharsan was the star player who added 96 runs off 47 balls, whereas Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill added 54 runs and 39 runs, respectively. Former Gujarat’s captain, Hardik Pandya, also scored 21 runs off 12. Unfortunately, rain disrupted the game, and the score was lowered to 175 runs, which was easily scored by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). 

208

In 2016, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) met Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final. David Warner gave a great start to SRH, scoring 69 off 38 balls, whereas Yuvraj Singh added 38 off 23 and Ben Cutting smashed 39 off 15 balls, helping SRH post 208 runs. In response, RCB could only manage 200 runs – 76 runs were scored by Gayle, whereas Kohli scored 54; the rest of the team could not go past 20.

205

Chennai Super Kings clashed against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2011 final. CSK were the defending champions, having won its first title in 2010. Batting first, Murali Vijay was the game’s showstopper with 95 runs off 52 balls and helped CSK post the target of 205. In the second innings, Ravichandran Ashwin baffled RCB batters by picking up three wickets and giving away merely 16 runs in four overs. Shadab Jakati also supported CSK’s cause by picking two wickets and giving away only 21 runs in four overs. 

202

Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings share a rivalry like no other, given that both teams have five IPL titles. The 2015 finale was an epic battle on the Mumbai Indians’ end as the team in blue dominated the Yellow Army by 202 runs, courtesy of Lendl Simmons’ 68 off 45, Rohit Sharma’s 50 off 26 balls, and Pollard adding another 36 off 18 balls. In response, Chennai’s Dwayne Smith was the only one with a commendable 57-run on board because six other batsmen did not even reach a double-digit score. The Mumbai Indians won the match by 41 runs. 

200

We go back to the year 2014, when the Kolkata Knight Riders lifted their second IPL trophy under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir. Batting first, opponent team Punjab’s Wriddhiman Saha smacked 115 runs to help his team post 199 runs. However, KKR’s Manish Pandey took the onus on himself and scored 94 runs off 50 balls, whereas Yusuf Pathan added 36 runs off 22. KKR lifted the trophy, and Saha’s glorious efforts went in vain.