Lowest Run Totals Defended in IPL History

The Indian Premier League is known for its explosive batting innings, with players struggling to register a large sum of totals on the scoreboard. But reckless performance usually results in a low score that must be defended on one side of the bowling ball.

It is not uncommon for a team to score below 125 and win games, but the IPL is known for its unpredictability. Anything can happen during the game.

There is no certainty at all in IPL. What is common in IPL is that the entire team bowls with less than 50 runs in a row, which is comparable to the overall running position of ordinary ODI games.

However, this is an extremely rare situation where one team successfully defended the low score. However, this happened a few times. Today, we will bring you a list of successful defense of the lowest scores in IPL history.

Related: Lowest Team Score in IPL (2008-2025)

The lowest defensive score in IPL

The T20 cricket format is difficult for all players, but for bowling, the T20 cricket format is even more so. They are stressful and each boundary is considered normal. Check out the lowest running total list of all time in the IPL history below. We only considered the game of 20 games, not games that were blocked by rain or any other situation.

#1. 116 Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab, 2009

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) maintains a famous record of defending the lowest total in IPL history. The feat was achieved in the 2009 Championship when they managed to score just 116/9 in 20 points, while Parthiv Patel contributed 32 23 goals.

Despite the low total, under the keen captain of MS Dhoni, CSK bowlers curated an incredible bowling performance to kill Kings XI Punjab Chase. Punjab is limited to 92/8, which gives CSK a memorable 24-stroke victory. More than a decade later, this remains the lowest total successfully defended in the league’s history.

#2. 118 Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians, 2018

In one of the most exciting low-scoring encounters of the 2018 IPL season, Sunrisers Hyderabad hit 118 points against the Mumbai Indians in 18.4 points against the Wankhede Stadium. The goal seems modest, but SRH has other plans for bowling.

Pacer Siddarth Kaul led the charge on 3/23, backed by Basil Thampi’s 2/4 and Rashid Khan’s 2/11. Mumbai’s batting unit collapsed under pressure, hitting only 87 runs, bringing SRH to a 31-shot victory and engraving the game in IPL folklore.

#3. 119 by King XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians, 2009

In the IPL conflict in Durban in 2009, King XI Punjab (now the King of Punjab) fixed 45 goals with 44 balls under Yuvraj Singh under the leadership of Yuvraj Singh.

The Mumbai Indians’ pursuit was staggering early, and although Jean Paul Duminy scored 59 goals in 63 goals, the team could only manage 116/7 in 20 points. Punjab beat the past with a narrow 3 wins, one of the most tense low-point defenses in game history.

#4. 119 Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Pune Warriors India, 2013

In a tense match in Pune, Sunrisers Hyderabad managed 119/8, thanks to the important knock on the door of Biplab Samantray (37) and Ashish Reddy (19). The Pune Warriors’ chase was derailed by SRH’s bowler, especially Amit Mishra, who returned to the 4/19 championship.

Mishra also played a key role in the bats, scoring a convenient 30 points in 24 goals. Pune was beaten 108, and SRH walked away with an 11-shot victory in a match that emphasized their fighting spirit and bowling ability.

#5. 120 Mumbai Indians vs Pune Warriors India, 2012

One of the closest matches to scoring in IPL history was in 2012, when the total number of Mumbai Indians was 120/9. Sachin Tendulkar scored 34 of 35 balls, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ashish Nehra picked two wickets.

The Warriors hunted until the end, but staggered under pressure. Although Mithun Manhas’ 34 balls had 42 elastic elasticity, they were second only to 1 run, ending the situation with 119/6. Mumbai achieved an exciting victory, leaving fans on the edge of their seats.