IPL 2020: 5 lowest team totals this season
What an IPL we have witnessed this year! Along with some close edge-of-the-seat thrillers that have gone down to the wire, there have been quite a few dominant displays as well.
After a rollercoaster ride that consisted to of 60 matches, it is the Mumbai Indians who have won the coveted title for the 5th time, becoming the second team after Chennai Super Kings to defend the IPL trophy.
We've seen some pretty high scores over the course of the IPL this year. On the flip side, there have also been quite a few low scores. Today, we look at 5 of the lowest.
5. Sunrisers Hyderabad (114 all out) v Kings XI Punjab (Match 43, Dubai International Stadium, Dubai)
This has to be one of the best collapses ever inflicted by a bowling side in the IPL. Batting first, KXIP were only able to manage 126/7 on the board, with their batsmen struggling throughout. Only Nicholas Pooran, towards the end of the innings, got some lusty blows in and helped KXIP get to a total that their bowlers could defend. Rashid Khan was the pick of the bowlers for SRH as he finished with figures of 2/14 in 4 overs next to his name.
In reply, SRH started with a bang. David Warner was timing the ball well and had raced past 30 runs, when a beauty from the young and crafty Bishnoi did him in. Following the skipper's wicket, his teammates began to fall in a heap. In the end, SRH folded for a paltry score of 114. Chris Jordan was awarded the man of the match for his figures of 3/17 in 4 overs.
4. Kolkata Knight Riders (112/9) v Royal Challengers Bangalore (Match 28, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah)
In Sharjah, where chasing down a total of 193 looked like a question of when and not if, in earlier matches, KKR batted out all 20 overs and still couldn't get anywhere close to the target set by RCB.
On a sluggish pitch, Royal Challengers Bangalore, batting first, got to 194/2 in their 20 overs, courtesy of a whirlwind 73 runs in 33 balls from AB de Villiers. He was accompanied by Virat Kohli, who failed to get going on the day but stuck around to support the former ably.
KKR was looking good at the start as they got to 23/1 in the first 4 overs. After the fall of Tom Banton at the top, the KKR batsmen were kept under the pump as the RCB bowlers struck regularly and instigated a collapse in the KKR batting line up.
The dangerous Andre Russell also couldn't work his magic as he too lost his wicket to a beautiful yorker from Isuru Udana, thus ending any hopes of a victory for KKR. KKR ended their innings at 112/9 and handed RCB an 82-run victory to go up to second position in the points table
3. Delhi Capitals(110/9) v Mumbai Indians (Match 41, Dubai International Stadium, Dubai)
Batting first on a lush green Dubai International Stadium wicket, the Delhi Capitals were reduced to 22/2 at the end of the powerplay by Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult. While Shreyas Iyer, and then Rishabh Pant, stuck around for a little while, neither were afforded the support to accelerate. A cameo towards the end of the innings from Kagiso Rabada helped DC 110 runs on the board.
Mumbai Indians chased down the target quite comfortably setting the tone for their encounters in the IPL 2020 playoffs. Ishan Kishan and Quinton de Kock were at their best yet again and got the sixes flying all over the park as they finished their innings in 14.2 overs.
2. Royal Challengers Bangalore (109 all out) v Kings XI Punjab (Match 6, Dubai International Stadium, Dubai )
Winning the toss and electing to bowl first, RCB struggled to pick up wickets. KXIP skipper KL Rahul was then dropped twice when he was close to his 100 and made RCB pay heavily for their mistakes. The Punjab opener went on to record the highest individual score by an Indian in the IPL, helping KXIP finish with 206 runs on the board.
In reply, the RCB top order fell like a pack of cards. Mohammed Shami and Sheldon Cottrell ripped through them and left them reeling on 8/3 in just two overs. Aaron Finch, AB de Villiers, and Washington Sundar were the only batsmen who showed any intent as they helped RCB get past the 100-run mark. But that wasn't enough as RCB folded up on 109 and handed KXIP a 97-run win, their first of IPL 2020.
1. Kolkata Knight Riders (84/8) v Royal Challengers Bangalore (Match 39, Sheikh Zayed Stadium Abu Dhabi)
KKR and RCB have played out many memorable matches so far in the 13-year history of the tournament. This was one such match that RCB fans would cherish for a long time to come. On the 21st of October 2020, RCB contained KKR to the lowest total of this year's IPL.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl first, RCB blew the KKR top-order away in no time. Mohammed Siraj and Yuzvendra Chahal wreaked havoc in the KKR batting ranks as batsmen came and went but couldn't make any substantial score. The KKR tail-enders huffed and puffed to help KKR get to 84/8, resulting in the lowest total at IPL 2020.
This was also the lowest total by a team batting out their 20 overs, in the history of the IPL. Coincidentally, RCB's 49 all out in 2017 against KKR is the lowest total recorded in IPL history.
In reply, the RCB batsmen chased down the target with ease. Young Devdutt Paddikal and Aaron Finch put on 46 runs for the first wicket, before captain Virat Kohli and Gurkeerat Singh Mann took the team home.